Buddhist works of art such as this beautiful
bronze seated, meditating Buddha often have
symbolic elements that relate to the very early
stages in the development of this highly complex
religion. Elements of nature were an integral
part of the early religions of India, and the roots
of Buddhism formed an alliance with these
ancient popular cults of the soil and nature,
accepting among other things, their nature
spirits. In this example, a bronze Buddha sits on
the artistically rendered body of a Naga, the
ancient Indian spirit of water that takes the form
of a serpentine cobra. The head of the snake
forms a dramatic nimbus around the upper
portion of the Buddha, individual serpentine
heads framing the Buddha’s expressive face. The
Buddhist religion spread throughout the Far East
and nowhere is the artistic rendering of this
spiritual religion more expressive than in the art
of the 12th to 13th century Khmer culture of
Cambodia. This bronze Buddha illustrates the
unique artistic tradition; the image boldly
expressive in form yet delicate in its sensibility.
Graceful and powerful at once, the combined
images of Buddha and Naga capture both the
aesthetic and spiritual elements of our very soul.
- (FZ.294)
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