Buddhist works of art such as this beautiful bronze Buddha often have symbolic elements that relate to the very early stages in the development of this highly complex religion. Elements of nature were an integral part of the early religions of India. The roots of Buddhism formed an alliance with these ancient popular cults of the soil and nature, including nature-spirits. In this example, the bronze Buddha sits on the artistically shaped body of a Naga, the ancient Indian spirit of water that takes the form of a cobra. The head of the snake forms a dramatic nimbus around the upper portion of the Buddha, individual serpent heads frame the Buddha's expressive face. The Buddhist religion spread throughout the east and nowhere is the artistic rendering of this spiritual religion more expressive than in the 12th and 13th century Khmer culture of Cambodia. This bronze Buddha illustrates the unique artistic craftsmanship and boldly expressive form, yet is delicate in its sensibility. Graceful and powerful at once, the combined images of Buddha and Naga capture both the aesthetic and spiritual elements of our very soul.