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Buddha Offering Protection

second half of the 6th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This sculpture is a masterful realization of Buddhist dharma. It must have graced one of the major monasteries of Angkor Borei, a leading urban center of Funan. The Buddha is seated in yogic meditation, one leg resting on the other. The highly developed musculature follows Indian Kusana and early Gupta traditions in which the Buddha is celebrated as hero (vira) or great man (mahapurusha). It is arguably the earliest demonstration of this Buddha figure type in mainland Southeast Asia. The imposing scale and robust physique point to an early date.


cat. no. 43

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Buddha Offering Protection
  • Period: Pre-Angkor period
  • Date: second half of the 6th century
  • Culture: Southern Cambodia
  • Medium: Sandstone with traces of lacquer and gilding
  • Dimensions: H. 47 1/4 in. (120 cm); W. 23 5/8 in. (60 cm); D. 21 7/16 in. (54.5 cm); Wt. 781 lbs (354.3 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh (Ka.1731)
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art