Naga-enthroned Buddha, 12th-13th century
Khmerexpand_more
Bronzeexpand_more
Gift of Michele and David Deweyexpand_more 99.216.3a-c
On View in Gallery 213expand_more
Siddhartha Gautama, who would become the Buddha, attained enlightenment after meditating for seven weeks under an ancient bodhi fig tree. During that time, he endured a week of drenching rain protected by the spreading hood of the naga (snake) King Mucalinda. Along with the Thai “Walking Buddha,” this depiction of the Buddha sheltered by Mucalinda gained special meaning in Southeast Asia. The image was popular under the Khmer King Jayavarman VII (reign c. 1181–1218), who replaced the official state religion of Hinduism with Buddhism and erected a sculpture of the snake-enthroned Buddha at the site of a Hindu temple. Jayavarman VII possibly selected this moment from the Buddha’s life story because snakes, which are prominent in Khmer art, are associated with water, a resource critical for a vast kingdom dependent on a complex system of hydraulics and irrigation.
Details
- Title
- Naga-enthroned Buddha
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 99.216.3a-c
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.