A LARGE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF BUDDHA MUCHALINDA, ANGKOR WAT STYLE, 12TH CENTURY

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A LARGE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF BUDDHA MUCHALINDA, ANGKOR WAT STYLE, 12TH CENTURY This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005: "No. 183, LA 1972, Adrian Maynard, Khmer Angkor Wat 12th c. Buddha Muchalinda" Gallery price: EUR 65,000 or approx. EUR 108,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. The ledger establishes that this object was located in Europe before the UNESCO 1970 Convention entered into force. Finely carved seated in dhyanasana upon the coiled, scaly body of the serpent Muchalinda, sheltered by the seven-headed hood of the naga, with hands resting in his lap in dhyana mudra. The stylized torso, devoid of ornament or drapery, extends into a well-defined head, his visage bearing a meditative expression, characterized by downcast eyes beneath gently arched brows, a broad nose, and full lips forming a subtle smile, all flanked by long, pendulous earlobes, and surmounted by a carefully arranged conical coiffure secured with a distinctive tiara. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Height 89.5 cm (excl. stand), 108.5 cm (incl. stand) With an associated modern stand. (2) This image of the Buddha sheltered by Muchalinda dates to the Angkor Wat period and exemplifies the distinctive sculptural style that flourished during the twelfth century, when the Khmer Empire reached the height of its territorial expansion. The period began under the reign of Suryavarman II, who commissioned the construction of Angkor Wat, the largest temple of the era and one originally dedicated to Vishnu. Sculpture of the Angkor Wat period is characterized by a return to the more upright and subtly angular modeling that preceded the eleventh-century Baphuon style. While retaining a refined sense of monumentality, works of this period are generally more restrained in scale, corresponding more closely to Baphuon sculpture than to the colossal statuary produced during the tenth century and earlier. Seven-headed nagas frequently appear in Khmer art and architecture as protective beings. Historically, they are prominently represented as balustrades along the causeways leading to major temples, including those at Angkor Wat. The veneration of the naga, a serpent deity of ancient Indian origin, was readily integrated into Angkorian religious culture, where Indic traditions converged with indigenous beliefs in powerful local serpent spirits. In representations of the Buddha Muchalinda, the naga serves as both protector and symbol of spiritual authority, sheltering the Buddha during meditation. Muchalinda is the name of a naga sheltering the Buddha from the elements after his enlightenment. When a storm raged and torrential rain fell for a whole week, the king of the nagas, Muchalinda, rose from the earth, coiling its body to form a seat and swelled its great hood to shelter Buddha. When the great storm had cleared, the serpent king assumed his human form, bowed before the Buddha, and returned to his palace. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related sandstone figure of Buddha Muchalinda, dated 1150-1250, 84.5 cm high, in the Art Institute of Chicago, reference number 2016.421. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Galerie Zacke Vienna, 11 March 2022, lot 568 Price: EUR 63,200 or approx. EUR 75,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, and stone. Note the larger size (121 cm).

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