Antique Thai Style Bronze Enlightenment Lopburi Naga Buddha Statue - 37cm/15" Measures – (Height) 37cm/15”A Lopburi style Thai Enlightenment Buddha, seated on a three-tired throne, with the flaring head of a giant Naga, the serpent King Muchalinda, rising behind protectively behind. His hands are in the Bhumisparsa or enlightenment mudra. The Buddha's face is serene, with a naturalistic and warm expression; his head is topped by a detailed ushnisha, in the Lopburi style. The serpent is well rendered and symmetrical. The throne is formed by the coils of the serpent. In the Buddhist culture the Naga or serpent offers protection. The story told here being that Muchalinda protected the Buddha from heavy rain. The statue is cast in the round, rather than as a relief on a stela. From this, we can infer that Khmer sculptors would have desired their artwork to be viewed from all sides and thus placed in the center of temples rather than against a wall. While this artwork was religious - priests supervised its execution - its realism is unmistakable. The Buddha is seated on a pedestal in the Bhumisparsa or 'Calling the Earth to Witness' mudrā. With fingers slightly touching the ground this position represents the subduing of Mara (a demon) who bombarded Buddha with demons, monsters, violent storms and the three seductive daughters. Remaining steadfast the Buddha testified to his meritorious past by pointing to the earth and calling the Earth Goddess, Thorani. Rising from the ground the Earth Goddess wrings the water from her long black hair. By this action she raises a torrential flood that drowns Mara and his army of demons. This gesture reflects this story symbolizing enlightenment, as well as steadfastness and Buddha’s achievement of perfection or nirvana. This traditional in appearance piece is sure to add serenity to your home, office or sacred space.SATISFACTION GUARANTEE - We have been offering SE Asian Art for many years and are proud of the reputation we have developed for fair and honest listings. However, if for any reason, whatsoever, you are unhappy with your purchase please just let us know and we will provide a full refund. We want you to be 100% happy with your purchase.We have many other Buddhist statues available. Please check out our other listing where we have other beautiful Asian pieces available. For more beautiful Asian Art – https://stores.eCRATER.com/hdasianart/ and our sister store https://www.eCRATER.co.uk/sch/jamesh_1066/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686 Happy to ship worldwide. However, we price the cost of international shipping for each order so you only pay the actual cost of posting to your country. Please message for international courier prices to your country. Postage discounts apply for multiple purchases. Please message with any questions. Thanks for your interest.HD Asian ArtSCBR2460