Burma, Late 19th - Early 20th Century, Bronze Representation Of The Buddha Shakyamuni

Statuette representing the Buddha Shakyamuni

Burma
Late 19th - early 20th century

The Buddha is depicted seated on a tall, stepped pedestal, 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 placed in his lap, palm facing upwards. The Awakened One is dressed in the uttarasangha, a long, finely crafted samghati draped over his left shoulder. His triangular face is characterized by comma-shaped brow ridges above lenticular eyes, an aquiline nose with dilated nostrils above a thin mouth that forms a slight smile.
The neck displays the three beauty lines, the forehead is adorned with a wide band, and the delicate hair is styled with small spikes. The skull is adorned with the usnisa, topped with a rasmi in the shape of a lotus bud. The elongated ears with distended lobes extend down to the shoulders, recalling the Blessed One's past worldly life. The base of the piece bears dedicatory inscriptions in Burmese.

Bronze with a brown patina
22.1 × 11.7 cm
Signs of wear
Private collection

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