Buddha Sheltered By Naga

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£2250 Out of stock

A very impressive 160cm tall sandstone statue of Buddha sheltered by Naga, which is a common image in Khmer art; the Buddha is shown seated in an attitude of meditation with Nagaraja (Naga king Vasuki) curled up under and rearing up over the Buddha’s head to protect the Holy One from the falling rain, so as not to interupt his meditation. In the 12/13th century Bayon style.

The Naga are ‘serpent-gods’ of the waters, easily identified by their scaly bodies and multiple heads in the shape of a fan. In Khmer art the Naga always has an uneven amount of heads, usually seven or nine. The Nagas are ruled by Vasuki and are the enemy of Garuda(The mount of Vishnu and the enemy of snakes and nagas. He is a gigantic bird with a human body covered in feathers and the claws of an eagle.) They control the rains and prosperity of the region where they reside. Nagas often marry humans and the Khmer claim they are descended from a union of a foreigner and the daughter of the Naga king. The Khmer’s obsession with the Naga is reflected in its omnipresence at the temples of Angkor, the largest being the balustrades that flank the causeways to Angkor Wat, Preah Khan, Angkor Wat and on the causeway leading to the entrance gates to Angkor Thom.

This piece has been sold - but are available for order upto 2.5 metres tall.