Buddha in Meditation
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.This stele depicts the Buddha in meditation on a lotus pedestal, flanked by two stupas, each surmounted by a square railing (harmika), seven-tiered umbrella (chattravala), and finial. Behind his head, pipal leaves hang from the branches of a bodhi tree, referencing the Buddha’s meditation at Bodh Gaya upon his enlightenment. In style, the stupas are similar to the naga-protected Buddha stele from the same site (cat. no. 111). Muang Si Mahosot has revealed a rich corpus of both Buddhist and Brahmanical sculptures, evidence that it was an early regional center, prospering through the Gulf of Thailand trade with the hinterland.
cat. no. 112
cat. no. 112
Artwork Details
- Title: Buddha in Meditation
- Date: 6th–7th century
- Culture: Central Thailand
- Medium: Sandstone
- Dimensions: H. 44 1/2 in. (113 cm); W. 29 1/2 in. (75 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Lent by National Museum, Prachinburi, Thailand (114/2524)
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art