Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
The Himalayas and South-East Asia, Room 47a

Sculpture

Sculpture
Late 12th century-13th century (made)
Artist/Maker

The meditating Buddha raised up on the coils of the naga-serpent king Mucalinda. According to Buddhist legend, soon after the Buddha's Enlightenment at Bodhgaya a great storm was sent against him and the nagaraja lifted the Buddha from the flood waters and sheltered him from the rain with his hood. This subject is known in Khmer art from as early as the 7th century.


Object details

Object type
TitleSculpture (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Brief description
Buddha Mucalinda, Bayon style, Cambodia
Physical description
The meditating Buddha raised up on the coils of the naga-serpent king Mucalinda. According to Buddhist legend, soon after the Buddha's Enlightenment at Bodhgaya a great storm was sent against him and the nagaraja lifted the Buddha from the flood waters and sheltered him from the rain with his hood. This subject is known in Khmer art from as early as the 7th century.
Style
Gallery label
Buddha Mucalinda 1180–1250 Khmer period The meditating Buddha is raised up on the coils of the serpent king (nagaraja) Mucalinda. According to Buddhist legend, there was a great storm soon after the Buddha’s enlightenment at Bodhgaya. The nagaraja lifted the Buddha from the flood waters and sheltered him from the rain with his hood. This subject is known in Khmer art from as early as the 7th century. Bronze Cambodia (Angkor) Given by David Knight Museum no. IS.57-1993(14/06/2011)
Credit line
Given by David Knight
Object history
Formally in the collection of Gilbert Beatty of Palm Beach, Tanjong Kling, Malacca, Malaysia. According to the acquisition papers in the V&A archive, Beatty (also spelt Beattie) had built up his collection in the pre-war years. In the late 1950s, when Beaty was in his late 70s, he became good friends with his neighbours the Knight family, the father of the family being based in Malaysia as a member of the British armed forces. In 1960 he gave much of his collection to one of the Knight children, David, who had developed a real interest in Cambodian and Thai art despite his young age. The objects were shipped back to Britain with the rest of the family's possessions later the same year. Between 1991 and 1993 David Knight donated or sold the collection to the V&A. Knight died in June 1993.
Production
Cambodia
Subject depicted
Collection
Accession number
IS.57-1993

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Record createdFebruary 13, 2000
Record URL
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