The State Hermitage Museum: Exhibitions

Buddha Maravijaya - the"Buddha who vanquished Mara" - a name given in Siam to the episode in which Gautama called upon the Earth goddess to bear witness and gained victory over Mara, the lord of evil forces.
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The art of Siam. 14th-19th centuries

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Crowned Buddha Reconciling Relatives

Ayutthaya

17th century

Bronze, traces of black lacquer, red lacquer, gilding

Height: 32 cm

As the power of the Ayutthaya kings grew, their clothing became more elaborate. This tendency was also reflected in the appearance of the crowned Buddha. In this statuette the Buddha is depicted in the "great royal vestments". The crown is surmounted by a three-stepped winding hairstyle (or perhaps a three-stepped pinnacle?); a massive pectoral ornament, like a heavy collar, covers the entire chest with its heavy chains descending to the abdomen. The bend of the left arm and elongated fingers are distant reminiscences of Sukhothai art.

Buddha Reconciling Relatives
Larger view

Buddha Reconciling Relatives - an episode in the life of the Buddha when he reconciled two clans of his relatives who had argued over the right to use the waters of the River Rohini for irrigation.
Pass to Glossary

Ayutthaya - the capital of a Siamese state of the same name (1350-1767) that united the whole of Siam with the exception of the Far North.
Pass to Glossary