Southeast Asia, Cambodia, Khmer Empire (Angkor culture), ca. 11th to 13th century CE. A magnificent stone bust of Buddha depicted beneath the 7 heads of Muchilinda, the king of the nagas. The tranquil deity gazes forth from elongated, almond-shaped eyes, his square visage presenting a contoured nasal bridge, and fleshy lips in a warm grin. A pair of elongated ears frame his face, falling to the tops of his broad shoulders to just barely graze the layers of lavish necklaces decorating his bare chest. His head is crowned by an intricately incised headdress capped by an ushnisha, as the 7 lengthy necks of Muchilinda surround him - the largest of which at the top - all terminating in hooded heads with target-motif eyes, protruding snouts, delineated nostrils, and lengthy mouths. The verso is elaborately incised with each and every scale of the divine serpent meticulously delineated. Size: 9.8" W x 16.7" H (24.9 cm x 42.4 cm); 24.4" H (62 cm) on included custom stand.

A large dharmachakra or wheel of dharma - a symbol of the Buddha that represents the cyclical nature of life - additionally embellishes the center of the verso with smaller versions of the symbol on the back of each snake head.

The 7-headed naga hood suggests that Muchilinda is protecting the Buddha from heavy rain. This iconographic depiction of the Buddha was a popular one from the reign of Khmer King Jayavarman VII (reigned ca. 1181 to 1218 CE), who established a cult based around it. Scholars believe that this may be because Jayavarman was disabled, and snakes were associated with healing. Interestingly, the king is also known for the establishment of hospitals throughout his kingdom.

This said, some scholars question the Buddha/Muchilinda story, saying that it is based on a misreading of the sources. Naga cults were prevalent throughout Indian, Sri Lankan, and Southeast Asian artwork during this period, but the symbolism is somewhat unclear. Some have proposed that nagas could be symbolic vehicles for elevating the deceased, equivalent to transcendence. This interpretation was inspired by the artwork of Angkor Wat and other parts of the Khmer world. Others see the inclusion of the naga as a holdover from earlier symbolic practices.

Formalistically, Khmer art moved away from Indian styles in the 7th century CE to encompass its own framework. One sign of this, seen here, is that this statue is carved in the round, rather than as a relief on a stela, which was subscribed to by Indian and Javanese Hindu and Buddhist sculptures that were previously influencing Cambodian art. From this, we can infer that Khmer sculptors would have desired their artwork to be viewed from all sides, and thus placed in the center of temples rather than against a wall.

Cf. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 36.96.5 and Walters Museum, 25.54.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, 1995 to 2010; ex-Earl Stendahl collection; ex-Alfred Stendahl collection, purchased from Spinks, London, UK in the 1950s to 1960s

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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.BR>
#170949

Fragment of a larger piece. Losses to 2 nagas on proper right side and arms. A few chips to chin, nose, cheeks, chest, and naga necks. Expected nicks, abrasions, and softening of detail, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with nice earthen deposits.