Bronze Buddha Adorned With Silver, Consecrated, Ye Dharmā Hetu Prabhavā, Laos, 19th Century

Laos, circa 1820–1860. Sculpture depicting the Buddha seated in meditation, shown in vajrasana on a double-tiered lotus base, his right hand lowered in bhumisparsha mudra (calling the Earth to witness), his left hand resting in meditation. The face, of great serenity, displays balanced and introspective features, with elongated, half-closed eyes, a straight nose, and a subtly smiling mouth. The urna, rendered in the form of a stylized flame, as well as the elongated ears and the hair composed of individually modeled spiral curls, conform to a classical iconographic canon of mainland Southeast Asia. The Buddha is dressed in a finely carved sanghati, decorated with a regular lozenge pattern punctuated by stylized floral motifs, executed by incision and then reworked with a chisel after casting. The edges of the garment are highlighted with continuous scrollwork friezes. The circular base, adorned with deeply sculpted lotus petals and punctuated by a beaded band, bears an inscription engraved in Devanagari script around its perimeter. This band carries the Buddhist formula "Ye dharma hetu prabhava," engraved in Devanagari script, a fundamental doctrinal summary serving as a consecration text and attesting to authentic devotional use. The petals of the lotus base are punctuated with raised discs corresponding to symbolic points (bindu), partially covered with silver appliqués. The statue is closed by a separate backplate, behind which a consecration element appears to remain, in accordance with traditional Buddhist ritual practices. The entire monastic drapery (sanghāti) is enriched with a thin layer of applied silver. A few small losses and areas of lifting material are present. Note: Unlike purely Buddhist statues Decorative, this Buddha is said to be “consecrated”: it has been ritually activated by the placement of sacred formulas inside the sculpture, according to a traditional practice intended to give it a spiritual presence for devotion. Dimensions: Height: 31 cm Width: 21 cm Depth: 15 cm