Vintage Bronze Naga Buddha Statue Sri Lanka | Mucalinda Cobra-Sheltered Buddha | Theravada Buddhist Altar Figurine
One of the most beloved and symbolically rich forms in Theravada Buddhist iconography, this vintage cast bronze statue depicts the Mucalinda Buddha — the enlightened one seated in deep meditation beneath the protective hood of Mucalinda, the great naga serpent king. According to the Pali canon, when storms threatened the newly enlightened Buddha during his seventh week under the Bodhi tree, the cobra Mucalinda rose from the earth and coiled his body beneath him, spreading his great hood as a living canopy of protection.
This hefty Sri Lankan casting — approximately 6 inches tall and 1.5 pounds — captures the scene with quiet authority. The Buddha sits in dhyana mudra on a tiered lotus pedestal, his ushnisha crown and serene face intact, while the broad cobra hood fans dramatically behind him, its surface carrying incised radiating detail and flanking naga figures. The reverse reveals the hood’s full cobra identity: a coiled serpent body forming the base, scales rendered in careful crosshatch across the entire plinth. Vivid teal and blue-green verdigris patina has developed richly across the surface, testament to genuine age and the character that only time produces.
A striking altar piece and a meaningful collector’s acquisition.
Details:
- Material: bronze
- Measurements: 5.6″ height; 3.2″ width; 2.25″ depth
- Weight: 1 lb, 7.4 oz
- Origin: Kandy, Sri Lanka