Buddha Statue - Antique Khmer Style Stone Stele Seated Meditation Buddha Statue - 61cm/24"

Antique Khmer Style Stone Stele Seated Meditation Buddha Statue - 61cm/24"

Measures (Height) 61cm/24"

An early antique 7th‑century Phnom Da style pre‑Angkor stele depicting a seated Buddha in dhyana (meditation) mudra. This hand gesture embodies the energy of meditation, deep contemplation, and union with higher consciousness.

The Phnom Da period, also associated with the Funan era, represents a lesser-known yet pivotal chapter in the early history of Khmer civilization in mainland Southeast Asia. Positioned between the Chenla and Angkor periods, it forms a crucial artistic and cultural bridge, foreshadowing the monumental achievements of later Angkorian art and architecture.

In this context, Buddhist steles from pre‑Angkor Cambodia offer a fascinating window into the region’s early religious and artistic development. These vertical stone slabs, often inscribed in Pali or Sanskrit and carved with images of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and sacred symbols, functioned as both devotional monuments and historical records. They document the spread of Buddhism in Cambodia prior to the Angkorian zenith (9th–15th centuries), preserving traces of spiritual life, royal patronage, and political authority.

The stele format—an upright stone slab or column—served multiple purposes. Erected in temples, monasteries, and sacred sites, such works marked significant religious events, commemorated the foundation or endowment of shrines, and stood as enduring declarations of faith from both rulers and lay devotees. Their surfaces often combine text and imagery, uniting scriptural or dedicatory inscriptions with carefully composed iconography.

Artistically, pre‑Angkor Buddhist steles reveal a rich synthesis of indigenous Khmer aesthetics and imported Indian iconographic models. As Buddhism travelled along trade and pilgrimage routes, local artisans adapted Indian forms to Khmer sensibilities, materials, and techniques. The result is a distinctive visual language that would later shape and refine the great sculptural traditions of the Angkor period.

These steles were never merely decorative objects. Integrated into daily worship and ritual life, they provided focal points for offerings, recitation, and meditation, fostering a shared atmosphere of reverence and communal devotion. The Sanskrit inscription that surrounds the seated Buddha on this stele underscores its dual function as both sacred image and textual record, while further Sanskrit text on the reverse enriches its historical and religious significance.

Today, surviving examples of such pre‑Angkor steles stand as important witnesses to Cambodia’s early embrace of Buddhism and to the dynamic cultural exchanges that linked India and Southeast Asia. They preserve, in stone, a visual narrative of spiritual evolution, political history, and artistic innovation. Whether regarded as silent witnesses to ancient rites or as finely crafted expressions of Buddhist teachings, these stele monuments remain invaluable cultural treasures and enduring testimonies to the region’s spiritual heritage.

Provenance: Ex- private US Collection. All items are guaranteed to be as described. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all purchases upon request.

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