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Buddha Preaching

late 8th–mid- 9th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This Buddha, standing in a symmetrical posture with a long robe and both hands raised in the teaching gesture (vitarkamudra), is a classic form of late Dvaravati art. The double hand gesture, rarely seen in Indian art, is a hallmark of Dvaravati images and may have been meant to evoke the textual description of the Buddha’s descent from the Trayastrimsa heaven, which he had visited to preach to his late mother. This Buddha was excavated from a stupa foundation relic chamber at the ancient city of U Thong, underscoring the efficacious nature of such images.

cat. no. 119

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Buddha Preaching
  • Date: late 8th–mid- 9th century
  • Culture: Central Thailand
  • Medium: Copper alloy
  • Dimensions: H. 12 5/8 in. (32 cm); W. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by National Museum, U Thong, Suphanburi, Thailand (55/2506)
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art