Thailand, Lopburi province
Buddha with Attendants on Mythical Animal
INV-1470
Thailand, Lopburi provinceDvaravati period, 7th‒8th century
Buddha with Attendants on Mythical Animal
Thailand, Lopburi province →Southeast Asiansculptureasian art
Date
Dvaravati period, 7th‒8th century
Medium
Sandstone
Dimensions
43.5 × 32.3 × 14 cm (17 1/8 × 12 3/4 × 5 1/2 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Marian and Samuel Klasstorner Fund
This distinctive composition belongs to the early culture of Dvaravati, which flourished in what is now Thailand during the 7th and 8th centuries. Both Hinduism and Buddhism were practiced in the region, which was heavily influenced by India. The work features a Buddha standing on a lotus pedestal atop a mythical winged and horned creature. The central figure is flanked by two attendants with bare chests and wearing elaborate hairstyles and jewelry. This type of composition may have been attached to a larger stone carving of a “wheel of the law” (dharmachakra) symbolizing the essence of the Buddhist teachings.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
