Antique Bayon Style Khmer Stone Naga Meditation Buddha - 42cm/17"
Measures – (Height) 42cm/17”
An antique Bayon style meditation Buddha, seated on a three-tired throne, with the flaring head of a giant Naga, the serpent King Muchalinda, rising behind protectively behind. His hands are in the Dhyana mudra, the gesture of Medtiation. The Buddha's face is serene, with a naturalistic and warm expression; his head is topped by a detailed ushnisha, in the Bayon style. The ushisha bears a second Buddha image also in the Dhyana mudra.
The serpent is well rendered and symmetrical. The throne is formed by the coils of the serpent. The story told here being that Muchalinda protected the Buddha from heavy rain. This iconography is typical of the reign of Khmer King Jayavarman VII (ca. 1181 to 1218 CE), who established a cult based around it.
