Wooden Buddha statues of the Óc Eo culture in Southern Vietnam

Abstract

Southern Vietnam is a distinctive region in terms of its natural resources. While suitable stone for sculpture is scarce, the area is rich in forests and contains several types of timber suitable for carving wooden statues. Among these, three species were commonly selected for the production of Buddhist statues in the Óc Eo culture: Hopea odorata (Sao wood), Calophyllum inophyllum (Mù u wood), and Lagerstroemia spp. (Bằng lăng wood). Utilizing these durable timbers, Óc Eo artisans produced numerous wooden Buddha statues representing four different stylistic traditions and standing postures: Buddha statues in the Amaravati style with a pronounced hip-swaying posture (Tribhaṅga), dating to the second-third centuries CE; Amaravati-style statues with a slight hipswaying posture (Abhaṅga), dating to the third-fourth centuries CE; Amaravati-style statues in an erect standing posture (Samabhaṅga), dating to the fourth-seventh centuries CE; and Gandhara-style statues in an erect standing posture (Samabhaṅga), also dating to the fourth-seventh centuries CE. The wooden Buddha statues discovered within the Óc Eo cultural sphere represent images of the Buddha Śākyamuni. They range from finely crafted and highly naturalistic sculptures to more schematic examples characterized by simplified volumetric forms. Dating from the second to the seventh centuries CE, these statues were likely mounted on wooden pedestals and displayed in open-air settings.