Pedestal with the Scene of Mara's Army
c. 1100-1150
Asia: Cambodia
Not on View

Though missing the Buddha image it once held, this pedestal is enhanced by a lively narrative scene celebrating the enlightenment of the Buddha and his defeat of Mara, the god of desire. The left side depicts Mara on an elephant, shooting an arrow (of desire) at the Buddha, while his charging soldiers brandish arrows. On the right side, the vanquished Mara and his army ride away, with their arms raised in a gesture of admiration for the Buddha. The standing female figure in the center is the earth goddess, Thorani, who has been called on to witness the Buddha’s victory.

Details

  • Title: Pedestal with the Scene of Mara's Army
  • Date: c. 1100-1150
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 3-1/4 x 11-3/4 x 7-1/2 in. (8.3 x 29.8 x 19.1 cm)
  • Credit Line: The Norton Simon Foundation
  • Accession Number: F.1973.13.7.S
  • Copyright: © The Norton Simon Foundation

Object Information

To Do Battle: Conflict, Struggle, and Symbol in Art

  • Norton Simon Museum, 2002-03-08 to 2002-07-08
  • Ophakun, Manat, Images from Crypts in the town of Suphanburi (Phra Kru Mûang Suphan), 1963, fig. 88
  • Woodward, Hiram W., Jr., Reprint from Archives of Asian Art, 1979, fig. 5 p. 76
  • Pal, Pratapaditya, Asian Art at the Norton Simon Museum, Volume 3: Art from Sri Lanka & Southeast Asia, 2004, fig. 10, no. 162 pp. 108, 205, 215
  • Campbell, Sara, Collector Without Walls: Norton Simon and His Hunt for the Best, 2010, cat. 946 p. 354

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