Buddha with Attendants on Mythical Animal

Description

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.

Provenance

With Dhada Vanichsombat (1912‒2009), Thai Antiquarium, Bangkok, Thailand, by Apr. 1968 [Bangkok 1968]. With Lawrence R. Phillips (1917‒2013), Roslyn, New York, by Mar. 1984 [Los Angeles 1984]; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, Feb. 10, 1997.

Buddha with Attendants on Mythical Animal

Pre-Angkorean

Dvaravati period, 7th‒8th century

Accession Number

147004

Medium

Sandstone

Dimensions

43.5 × 32.3 × 14 cm (17 1/8 × 12 3/4 × 5 1/2 in.)

Classification

sculpture

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Marian and Samuel Klasstorner Fund