Dimensions: Height 52 cm ; Wide 23 cm ; Depth 14 cm with base

Weight: 14568 grams with base

Khmer. Angkor period. 11th/12th century Bayon style.

Sandstone with natural patina , unrestored condition.

The crowned Buddha with his hands in dhyana mudra sits in ardha padmâsana on the rolled-up body of the Naga king Muchalinda, who has stretched his seven heads behind the Buddha's head to form a mandorla.

The depiction shows a mythological event from the life of the historical Buddha. One day, while he was meditating, there was a storm and heavy rain. Then Muchalinda, the king of the Nagas (snakes), appeared from a nearby lake and invited the Buddha to sit on his curled-up body. He stretched his seven heads over the Buddha's head to protect him. When the rain stopped, Muchalinda resumed his royal form, bowed and returned to his kingdom.