Ayutthaya period, Thailand
14th to 15th Century
Height 13.5cm, width 4.2cm, depth 2.3cm
Museum no. IM65-1927
One of the most influential image types of the Ayutthaya period (1350-1767) is this one in which the Buddha wears a crown and royal robes and makes the gesture of the double abhaya mudra meaning 'bestowing fearlessness'. According to Thai legend it represents the occasion on which the Buddha appeared in royal robes to subdue a heretic Indian king called Jambhupati.