Lopburi: Crowned Buddha

THAILAND, Lopburi

Unearthed from Lopburi, this Buddha is seated under the Bodhi tree, indicated by the foliage at the top of the mandorla. His right hand is in bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra, which represents the subjugation of demons and attainment of enlightenment. Sculptures in this style were popular between the 11th to 14th centuries in Thailand. The throned figure, mandorla, canopy, and the smaller and larger Sumeru bases were cast separately and then fitted together.
Ribbons hang from either side of the Buddha’s tall headdress down to the shoulders. The youthful figure carries his head high and has broad shoulders tapering to a slim waist. He sits in full lotus position on a double lotus throne from which rise a pair of makaras. The throne is supported on the smaller of the two many-angled Sumeru bases, which are decorated with a diamond pattern. About the figure are a hollow combined aureole and nimbus, beyond which is an inset rim surrounded by a flaming mandorla.