Featured Seated Buddah wrapped by a Cobra.....metal sculpture or casting..

non magnetic....heavy.....for a tiny critter !
I was told these were placed in temple shrines..& that it's old.
I got it from a dealer who had many antiques he knew nothing about , cross his desk.
I've had it a little less than 30 years.

Sorry about the last pic...I'm just using it to show depth.....not the penny !!



PS...yes , it stands upright well.

 

Thai amulet, Phra Nakprok, "Buddha Protected by Naga".

https://www.thailandamulet.net/#!/P...Lai-1500-years-old/p/7863354/category=1034898

 

well i didn't think it was 1500 years old...

could it be 150..?

 

They were (and are) and it is old.
It was probably a votive offering by a faithful Buddhist. Similar small votive bronzes (mostly Hindu) are found in East Java, but this is likely to be from mainland (South)East Asia.

It is a charming little Naga Buddha. The Naga Mucilanda (Muchalinda) sheltered the Buddha from rain and storm while he was meditating. It is the ultimate sign of protection, and also refers to the Buddha's own protective aspect.
Your Buddha isn't wrapped in the cobra (Naga), he is sitting on its coiled body and the hood of the Naga is protecting him. The Naga has a lotus symbol on its hood, for spiritual purity and growth.

It isn't. And it isn't Lek Lai either, yours is a cast bronze or bronze-like alloy, manmade. Which is good, because Lek Lai comes with a great spiritual responsibility. Best to leave that to those who are willing and able to carry it.

Yours is antique, but I have no idea how old. The combination of yellow rubbing with green encrustation looks odd to me, but the brownish patina looks good.
Maybe @springfld.arsenal can help with dating the bronze.

 

it looks dug up....but i won't try to clean it further......thanks !

 

Best to leave it as it is. It could have been dug up, the Javanese ones usually are. I'll see if I can take a pic of mine.

I am just wondering about the yellow rubbing on bronze that has both brownish patination and green encrustation. Brownish patination and green encrustation suggest a greater age than yellow rubbing.
I don't doubt it is an antique. I just wonder if this is an antique that has had some help, maybe in the 19th century. Antique antiqueing so to speak.
But spring would know much more about that.

 

Hi Komokwa,
I think it is an amulet and probably carried in a plastic case, which accounts for the rubbing on the back, the nose and the naga faces. The fuller, rounded face is different to the usual Thai design which often has a slightly elongated face and a pointed headdress.
Whilst it could be Thai, also consider Khmer which was the main empire that spread across Cambodia, Laos and central Thailand from 800-1400 CE. Heavily Buddhist with a touch of Hindu, the Khmer's were responsible for some of the most amazing stone temples, libraries and monuments in Asia. Think Angkor Wat as being representative, but I recently spent a month exploring some amazing ruins in Battambang in Cambodia.
It's always difficult to tell the age of these tiny votive figures as they are copied and aged with great skill. This one does look to have some age to me and I wonder if it has been sand-cast which would give it a rather rough shape and suggest more age.
Antique, yes. Ancient relic...mmmm. But could be 200 years old, but who knows?
Images show: plastic case for wearing around the neck which yours might have been in, cased amulets, Thai votive figure for comparison.