Large Khmer Nāga-enthroned Buddha, 12/13th Century

Description: 0 0 1 515 2939 Colorado School of Mines 24 6 3448 14.0 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE Large Khmer Nāga-enthroned Buddha, 12/13th Century Dimensions: approximately 39 inches high without the stand, 42 inches with the museum quality stand and 14 inches wide. Condition: no cracks or repairs, in excellent condition This sculpture of Buddha being sheltered by the Nāga Muchalinda was created sometime in the late Angkor Wat or early Bayon period (1177–1230) when, under the leadership of King Jayavarman VII, Buddhism again came to prominence in Cambodia. The veneration and elevation of the Nāga-enthroned Buddha emerged as the apex of Khmer imperial Buddhism and its importance was unique to the Khmer culture. Although Hinduism was the dominant religion during the Angkor Wat period, images of the Nāga serpent king Muchalinda sheltering the Buddha were popular in Khmer art throughout the twelfth century. In a Cambodian legend, the Nāga were a reptilian race of beings that possessed a large empire or kingdom in the Pacific Ocean region. The Nāgarāja’s (Nāga King) daughter married the king of ancient Cambodia, and thus gave rise to the Cambodian people. This sculpture derives from the episode in the life of Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, when Muchalinda coiled his body beneath the meditating Buddha and fanned out his hood to protect him from a powerful rain storm. Seated beneath the canopy of the serpent’s hood, with hands in a gesture of meditation (dhyāna-mudrā) palms facing upward with the right hand over the left, the Buddha wears a slight smile and an expression of compassionate serenity. The serpent is marked with symbols of the wheel of law, representing the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth (samsara); the wheel also alludes to the teachings of the Buddha as a path to enlightenment and release from this cycle. The sculpture is in excellent condition: no cracks or repairs. It has excellent patina with traces of paint or possibly lacquer from ancient times. It was common to cover sculptures in gilding, paint or lacquer. I have attached two photos of similar Khmer sculptures that highlight the use of paint and lacquer. At the base of the sculpture is a partially intact tenon that would have fit into a mortise located in a prominent place in the Khmer temple securing its position. I have also added a photo of the sculpture under spot lights compared to the NagaBuddha using only daylight. The patina of the sculpture is naturally dark from hundreds of years exposure to the environment and possibly being buried, however, the ancient layers of paint or lacquer as well as the finer details of the sculpture can be brought out and highlighted by proper use of lighting. You can bring a sculpture to life or accent desired features with the appropriate lighting. This authentic Khmer sculpture is from my personal collection. I purchased this sculpture about 30 years ago from a reputable antique dealer in Bangkok,Thailand and it has been in my possession since. This is a large and heavy sculpture and will be packed and crated to insure it is safely transported to its new home. Some background on the emergence of Nāga-enthroned Buddha in Asia and the Khmer Empire. In India Nāgas were considered ancient water and fertility spirits and were worshipped as animistic guardian deities; the first free-standing sculptures found were from the 1st century BCE. From the second century CE onward they began to be depicted within Buddhist monuments, sometimes with the Buddha enthroned, but more often as individuals in story scenes. A 2nd century CE Gandhāran schist relief depicting a seated Buddha wrapped by a seven-headed Nāgarāja (king of the Nāga) is the earliest. After the 4th century there were few representations of the Nāga-enthroned Buddha in India. Śrī Lankā over the next few centuries shared links with the Buddhist communities in South India and produced images of the Nāga-enthroned Buddha. A Chinese pilgrim, Fa Xian, noted that the Nāga cult was already in existence in Śrī Lankā alongside Buddhism when he visited in the 5th century CE. The earliest free-standing seven-headed Nāga-enthroned Buddha in dhyāna-mudrā in Śrī Lankā was made around 550-600 CE. By the sixth century, images of the Nāga-enthroned Buddha had been introduced to mainland Southeast Asia simultaneously from Śrī Lankā and India. Sixth to eighth-century images, contemporary to those in Śrī Lankā, were found in Campā and Dvāravatī. Many of the Nāga sculptures were found in the northeastern part of Thailand, where the Khmers had an increasing presence in Dvāravatī towards the tenth century CE. The first Khmer Nāga-enthroned Buddha image found is a 10th century CE bas-relief along the road from Angkor to Phimai. A review of Nāga-enthroned Buddha images from South Asia to Southeast Asia up to the tenth century CE makes it apparent that the iconography of the image had not been formalized. Elements, such as the mudrās, inclusion/exclusion of the nāga body, the number of nāga coils and heads, were not standardized. The Khmer image-makers gradually formalized the iconography over a span of 300 years. No other cultures have produced as many Nāga-enthroned Buddhas from the tenth to thirteenth century CE as the Khmer civilisation. The significance and influence of the Nāga-enthroned Buddha was strengthened after Jayavarman Ⅶ’s (1122-1218), a devout Buddhist, ascension to power and the institution of Buddhism as the state religion. The creation legend of Cambodia, the native beliefs and the iconography found a real resonance with the Khmers, making the image influencial and popular. Due to its popularity, wide use and the ascension of a Buddhist king, by twelfth century, the Nāga-enthroned Buddha became one of the many standard ways of representing the Buddha with his transcendent qualities. Nāgas are known for their protective abilities, inherited from their original roles as guardian deities, and by incorporating the imagery of Muchalinda protecting the meditating Buddha from the powerful rain storm, the Nāgarāja became the guardians of the Buddha and the dharma. The incorporation of the Nāga into Buddhist iconography is symbolic of the assimilation of the local animistic beliefs into Buddhism and the supremacy of the Buddha over the Nāgarāja. The Buddha literally sits upon the Nāga, symbolizing his superiority over the animistic deity, whose role is now to protect and guard the Buddha. The exalted status of the Buddha is further emphasized, not only by the multi-tiered throne made up of Nāga coils, but also by the number of heads in the hood of the Nāgarāja denoting the importance of the Buddha. The Nāga-enthroned Buddha image, as the primary Buddhist image produced in Jayavarman VII's reign, was a subtle but ingenious way to assert authority and legitimacy for a religion that he caused to re-emerge into prominence. Unfortunately, when Jayavarman VIII, who worshipped Shiva, came to power in 1243 he destroyed and defaced many of Jayavarman VII’s Buddhist works. When visiting Angkor Wat I saw that many images, that seemed to be Buddhist, were defaced and asked my guide if that was the work of the Khmer Rouge. He confirmed that the destruction was done in ancient times on orders of Jayavarman VIII. This might explain why many of the Nāga-enthroned Buddhas that have been discovered required significant repairs from damage that cannot be attributed to centuries of exposure to the environment. Although there are a number of examples of intact Nāga-enthroned Buddhas that have survived, I have attached photos of an assortment of severely damaged Nāga-enthroned Buddhas that may have been intentionally damaged during Jayavarman VIII’s reign (the sculpture’s patina is uniform even in the damaged areas). I found indications on this listed sculpture that exhibit signs of having been buried, which may explain why the sculpture is intact. Thanks for looking.

Price: 12900 USD

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

End Time: 2024-02-16T07:29:02.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD