Buddha Protected by Mucalinda

THAILAND

This sculpture was originally a boundary stone from a temple in northeast Thailand. It depicts the Buddha seated with ankles crossed and the sole of the left foot facing outwards. The right hand is raised to form the vitarka (teaching) mudra, while the left hand is placed palm upwards on the left leg. The hands, legs and feet are disproportionate to the thin body, resulting in a child-like appearance. The figure wears a monastic robe that covers the left shoulder and a dhoti. There are five naga heads surmounted by a tree above the Buddha’s nimbus, while the throne consists of four coils of the naga’s body. There are two kneeling figures below the throne, one of them knelt in reverence.