Seated in serene meditation upon the coiled body of the naga king Muchalinda, the Buddha is depicted here in dynanasana.
According to legend, during the sixth week following his enlightenment, a violent storm broke out, unleashing torrential rains for seven days. In a gesture of divine protection, Muchalinda rose from the earth, coiling his body to form a seat for the Buddha and expanding his great hood to shield him from the elements. This powerful image of shelter and spiritual resilience became a potent symbol in Buddhist iconography.
While the Muchalinda scene appears in earlier South and Southeast Asian art, it was during the reign of the Khmer King Jayavarman VII (circa 1181–1218) that this representation gained prominence. Jayavarman VII, a devout Buddhist and prolific builder, emphasised healing and compassion throughout his empire, constructing hospitals and promoting religious imagery that reflected these values. The naga, often associated with healing powers, may have held personal significance for the king, who is believed to have suffered from physical ailments.
This evocative sculpture belongs to a tradition that flourished under Jayavarman VII’s patronage, reflecting both spiritual devotion and royal ideology. The powerful volume of his frame and squared face, with its wide, full lips and soft, benign expression, are characteristic of the period with the emphasis on simplicity compared to the more ornate representations of the Angkor Wat style of the 12th century. Compare with an example in the Musée Guimet (MG18126).
For closely related examples sold at auction see Christie’s Amsterdam, 18 October 2005, lot 148, and Christie’s Paris, 14 December 2016, lot 24.