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.
Accession Number
147004
Medium
Sandstone
Dimensions
43.5 × 32.3 × 14 cm (17 1/8 × 12 3/4 × 5 1/2 in.)
Classification
sculpture
Credit Line
Marian and Samuel Klasstorner Fund