A BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA MUCHALINDA, ANGKOR PERIOD, BAYON STYLEKhmer Empire, late 12th to early 13th century. Seated in dhyanasana on the coils of Muchalinda, beneath the seven-headed canopy of the serpent king, wearing a short loincloth around his waist, adorned with elaborate jewelry, a crown surrounding his hair and surmounted by a conical ushnisha, his face with a serene expression, downcast eyes and hands held in his lap holding a stupa.Provenance: From the collection of Taoufik Bendahou, Paris, by repute acquired c. 1980. LP Collection Paris, France, acquired from the above. Taoufik Bendahou (1935-2015) was a Moroccan social security administrator. He studied in Paris, France, and from 1966 to 1987 was the Inspector-General of the National Social Security Fund of Morocco. He later worked in various high functions for the International Labor Organization in Geneva. After his retirement, he lived in France.Condition: Very good condition with some wear, few nicks here and there, light scratches, minor losses, and casting flaws. Fine natural patina with malachite-green and copper-red encrustations.Weight: 1,174 gDimensions: Height 19.7 cmThis iconic image of Siddartha Guatama's pursuit of enlightenment shows the scene when torrential rain threatened to drown him. The king of the nagas, Muchalinda, rose from the earth, coiling his body to form a seat swelling his great hood to shelter Buddha beneath his seven-headed canopy.Literatureparison:Compare a related bronze figure of Buddha Muchalinda, 16 cm, Angkor period, 12th century, in the CB National Museum, inventory number NMC.419.pare a related bronze figure of Buddha Muchalinda, 14.2 cm, Angkor period, 12th century, in the CB National Museum, inventory number NMC.414.pare a related bronze figure of Buddha Muchalinda, 11.4 cm, Angkor period, 12th-13th century, in the Brooklyn Museum, accession number 83.237.4.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: Christie’s New York, 19 September 2002, lot 193Price: USD 26,290 or approx.EUR 39,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Bronze Figure of Buddha Muchalinda, Khmer, Bayon style, late 12th/early 13th centuryExpert remark:pare the related motif. Note the smaller size (14.5 cm).Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: London, 6 October 2015, lot 98Price: GBP 3,750 or approx.EUR 6,100 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A Khmer bronze seated figure of Buddha Muchalinda, late 12th/early 13th centuryExpert remark:pare the related motif and color of the bronze. Note the larger size (32.5 cm).