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Buddha Preaching

late 7th 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 Buddha preaching the dharma is one of the most imposing from early Cambodia. He has a muscular build and stands on a low octagonal pedestal, right hand raised in exposition. The sculpture’s importance is enhanced by a contemporary Prakrit inscription on the reverse proclaiming the Ye dhamma “stanza of causation” in a version of the text from northern India. It is among the earliest known uses of the Ye dhamma stanza in early Cambodia, foreshadowing its widespread appearance across Southeast Asia from the eighth century onward. The style, like its counterparts in Dvaravati Thailand, looks to the Saranth school of north India.

cat. no. 44

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Buddha Preaching
  • Date: late 7th century
  • Culture: Southern Cambodia
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H. 37 in. (94 cm); W. 13 in. (33 cm); D. 9 7/16 in. (24 cm); Wt. 126 lbs (57.2 kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by Musée National des Arts Asiatiques–Guimet, Paris (MG18891)
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art