Buddha Image Sheltered by a Naga

Keywords :

Artwork alternative name	Decorated Buddha Image
Site common name	Bangkok National Museum
Site alternative name	Phra Nakhon National Museum
Type of artwork	Sculpture
Sub district	Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang
District	Khet Phra Nakhon
Province	Bangkok
Region	Central
Country	Thailand
Geographic Coordinates Decimal degree	Lat : 13.7576 Long : 100.492222
Geographic Coordinates UTM	Zone : 47 P Hemisphere : N E : 661329.97 N : 1521418.09
Place of artwork	Inside Bangkok National Museum

History of production	There is no evidence related to the origin.
Production process	Carved sandstone
Conservation	Found in Na Phra Meru, Amphoe Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
Size	Height 184 cm.
Art	The Buddha image is sitting cross-legged above the Naga with the hands in the position of meditation. The face is square and in a dark color. The eyes are widely open. There is a crown that is composed of a visor and a tiara in a cone shape. The image wears pointed round shape earrings. The upper part of the body is bare noticing from the holes between the flank and the arms. There is a deep line engraved in a form of a slanted robe that might have been done later. The lower part of the body is wearing a skirt-like lower garment. There are 7 Naga’ s heads at the back of the Buddha image. They are in an outline that looks like Bodhi leaf. The head in the middle is the largest and the 3 heads on each side are smaller. All of the smaller heads are facing the large head. There are 3 rolls of the Naga’s body that is supporting the Buddha image. The top roll is the thickest and the widest then descending in size forming a tube outline.
Key academic information	This decorated Buddha image sheltered by a Naga is in a perfect condition. It is a perfectly beautiful example of Lopburi Arts or Khmer Arts in Thailand, Nakon Wat style.
Notice	The face and the visor are covered with gold leaf. This belief might belong to the late generation after moving the sculpture to Wat Na Phra Meru, not when it was first built.
Period	Historical Period
Art period	Lopburi
Age	17th century B.E.
Religion	Buddhism
Religion and belief	Usually, the Buddha image Sheltered by a Naga is referring to the event in the sixth week after the enlightenment. At that time the Buddha had sat under an Indian Oak tree on the bank of the pond and a rainstorm was about to come but the Naga Mujalin who lived in the pond then came around the Buddha to protect him from the rain. However, in the Khmer culture, the popularity of the Naga Buddha image may be related to the worship of the Naga as well. In addition, the Khmer also believed that the Naga was their ancestor. All the decorations including the visor, the tiara, and the round shape earrings that the sculpture are wearing probably arose from the tradition of treating where real items made with precious things were offered to the Buddha image idols in Brahmanism as well. Therefore, the decorations of Buddha images and the idols in Khmer culture are the same.

Type of License	Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND)
Rights	Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre
Date of record creation	2016-09-30
Record creator	Rungroj Thamrungraeng
Bibliography	สุภัทรดิศ ดิศกุล, หม่อมเจ้า. ประติมากรรมขอม. กรุงเทพฯ : กรุงสยามการพิมพ์, 2515. สุภัทรดิศ ดิศกุล. ศิลปะขอม. กรุงเทพฯ : องค์การค้าของคุรุสภา, 2533. สุภัทรดิศ ดิศกุล, หม่อมเจ้า. ศิลปะสมัยลพบุรี. กรุงเทพฯ : มหาวิทาลัยศิลปากร, 2547.