Buddha bust, sheltered by Mucalinda (Khmer-Lopburi style)

Accession Number
1993/2.38

Title
Buddha bust, sheltered by Mucalinda (Khmer-Lopburi style)

Artist(s)
Thai

Object Creation Date
12th century

Medium & Support
sandstone

Dimensions
18 15/16 x 15.9 x 6 3/4 in. (48 x 40.5 x 17 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of John Adams Thierry in memory of Louis Sidney Thierry

Subject matter
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.

Primary Object Classification
Sculpture

Collection Area
Asian

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Buddhas (visual works)
Buddhism
fragments (object portions)
icons (devotional images)

3 Related Resources

Tour: Greetings!
(Part of: Touring & Teaching)
Buddhism
(Part of 2 Learning Collections)

& Author Notes

Web Use Permitted