Throne Crossbar with Makara Finial
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.This throne crossbar once graced a monumental enthroned Buddha ensemble at Nakhon Pathom, likely the seated Buddha later transferred to Wat Na Phra Men in Ayutthaya or a similar ensemble, now lost. The crossbar is decorated with classic Mon-style alternating flower and lozenge motifs with vegetal meander infill. The terminal depicts a horned makara (aquatic monster) whose fanged jaws reveal a rearing lion, the lion’s roar being a metaphor for the Buddha’s propagation of the dharma.
cat. no. 114
cat. no. 114
Artwork Details
- Title: Throne Crossbar with Makara Finial
- Date: first half of the 8th century
- Culture: Central Thailand
- Medium: Schist
- Dimensions: H. 18 1/2 in. (47 cm); D. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm); L. 38 9/16 in. (98 cm); Wt. 324 lbs (147 kg)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Lent by Phra Pathom Chedi National Museum, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand (626/2519)
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art