Nāga-Buddha images of the Dvāravatī period: A possible link between Dvāravatī and Angkor

Abstract

The iconography of Buddha images known as the Dvāravatī Nāga-Buddhas is analyzed. The origin and evolution of the Nāga-Buddha in India are reviewed. Differences in the iconography of Nāga-hooded figures are elucidated and examined. The evolution of the iconography in Sri Lanka, Thailand (Dvāravatī and Angkorian periods) and Cambodia is surveyed. Possible transmission routes between India, Sri Lanka and Dvāravatī are considered. The possibility that the Dvāravatī Nāga-Buddha was the origin of the Angkorian Nāga-Buddha is examined. Clues to the significance of the Bàyon Nāga-Buddha in that context are explored.