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Buddha, seated in the ardha padmasana pose, in dhayana mudra, sheltered by Mucalinda (Lopburi style)

Thai

Artwork Details

Buddha, seated in the ardha padmasana pose, in dhayana mudra, sheltered by Mucalinda (Lopburi style)
12th century
Thai
sandstone with traces of polychromy
18 1/8 x 12 5/8 x 9 7/8 in. (46 x 32 x 25 cm)
Gift of John Adams Thierry in memory of Louis Sidney Thierry
1993/2.37

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Description

Subject Matter:

The Buddha, sheltered by the Naga king Mucalinda: a scene from the life of historical Buddha. When the Buddha-to-be sat down under a Bo tree in Bodh Gaya to meditate for a period of 49 days, a great storm arose, but his concentration was unbroken. To keep him safe from the flood and the driving rain, the Naga (serpent) king Mucalinda coiled his body to life him above the waters, and spread his cobra hood to provide shelter. Images of Buddha sheltered by Mucalinda are common in peninsular Southeast Asia, where snakes were tradiionally revered as fertility symbols.

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