The iconography of this image appears to have been based on at least two popular themes in the art of the mainland of Southeast Asia. First, that of the Buddha protected by the naga king Mucalinda (see Charoenwongsa and Diskul 1976: pls. 84 and 109). Second, that of Vishnu slumbering in his cosmic sleep on the snake Ananta (for examples see Boisselier 1966: fig. 34 (b); pl. 57 (2)). The style is hard to place. The Buddha figure itself shows a faint resemblance to the products of the Ayudhya style of the 15th-16th centuries. The patterns of the lotus on the couch looks like an imitation and elaboration of the earlier Khmer tradition. The snake-head depicted with five heads instead of the usual seven has a peculiar look. The manner in which each of the hoods fans out separately from one another is uncommon in the ancient styles and seems to reflect the trends of the Bangkok period.

See illustration