This sculpture depicting the buddha protected by a seven-headed Naga originates from Cambodia, sculpted in the Bayon style, Angkor period in the late 12th-early 13th century in sandstone.

The fragmentary sculpture can be associated with the late phase of Buddhist patronage in the vicinity of Angkor Thom, at Angkor, under the reign of King Jayavarman VII (r. 1181-1218), a devout Mahayana Buddhist. It depicts what must be assumed was the seated Buddha in deep meditation, resting on the coils of a snake that raises its seven-headed hood above the Buddha's head. The cult of the animistic naga (snake-serpent) is an ancient practice in India and was readily taken up in Angkorian Cambodia to reflect a meeting of Indic and local cults that acknowledge the power of snake-spirits.

This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Scan the World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.