POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Seated Buddha figure from Cambodia

Object No. 2014/132/36

An unusual figure of the seated Buddha in dhyani (meditation) mudra, made during the Ankor Wat period, in that style. Although after the ninth century, the previously plain and simple figures were adorned with jewellery and wore more complicated clothing, this particular piece is beautifully simple. This figure forms part of the collection of Buddhist figures and ritual objects that were assembled by Alastair Morrison to represent the major deities and religious objects in the Buddhist pantheon. The pieces are mostly small in size, reflecting their original function as portable devotional images. The collection significantly enhances the museum's existing holding of East, South and Southeast Asian material culture. The figures and objects, which are predominantly made from bronze and wood, reflect the high level of craft production in those regions and the significance of these objects as works of great spiritual significance. The production of these pieces, which spans a period of more than one thousand years, and has continued into the twentieth century, attests to the enduring importance of the spiritual ideas which these figures and emblems embody. Buddhism is one of the world's great and enduring religious traditions and is one of the fastest growing religions in Australia.