Burma, 18th-19th Century, Representation Of The Buddha Under The Tree Of Enlightenment, Bronze

Statuette of the Maravijaya Buddha

Burma
18th-19th century

The Buddha is depicted seated on a tall, circular base, legs crossed in the vajraparyanka position, his right hand resting on his knee in bhumisparshamudra, a symbolic gesture of victory over inner demons and the activation of the Earth as a witness to his awakening. His left hand is placed in his lap, palm facing upward. The Awakened One is clothed in the uttarasangha, worn close to his body, and a long samghati draped over his left shoulder.
His deeply introspective face is characterized by thick, comma-shaped brow ridges above lenticular eyes, an aquiline nose with dilated nostrils above a thin mouth. The neck displays the three beauty lines, the forehead is adorned with a thin, multicolored band, and the delicate hair is styled in small spikes. The skull features an usnisa crowned with a rasmi in the shape of a lotus bud, and elongated ears with distended lobes extending to the shoulders, recalling the Blessed One's past worldly life.
The back of the piece is decorated with a stylized representation of the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained Enlightenment.

Bronze with high copper content
17.5 x 4.7 cm
Visible wear and damage
Private collection

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