A LOPBURI SANDSTONE FIGURE OF BUDDHA MUCHALINDA, 13TH CENTURY Thailand. The Buddha seated in virasana with his hands in dhyanamudra, wearing a sampot, his serene face crisply carved and his hair arranged in rows of spiral curls surmounted by a conical ushnisha. The coiled body of the serpent beneath him is finely incised overall with a pattern of scales, its seven-headed hood rising up behind the Buddha, the details masterfully delineated with incised lines.

Provenance: From a private collection in Belgium, acquired in the 1990s.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, extensive wear and losses, nicks and scratches, signs of erosion and weathering, natural cracks.

Dimensions: Height 77 cm

This iconic image of the Buddha sheltered by a snake was very popular in ancient Southeast Asia. The scene relates to the story of the seven days of intense rain that started on the Buddha's sixth day of enlightenment. To protect the Buddha from the rising waters of a nearby lake, the serpent king Muchalinda emerged and sheltered him so that he could continue his meditation undistracted.

Auction result comparison: Compare a related figure of Buddha Muchalinda of slightly larger size (94 cm), dated to the 13th century, at Christie’s New York in Indian and Southeast Asian Art on 23 March 2010, lot 276, sold for USD 40,000.