Tibet, First Half Of The 20th Century, Bronze Buddha Representation In Meditation Posture

Tibet
First half of the 20th century
Bronze with medal patina
14.7 x 8.7cm
Excellent condition
Private collection

Bronze Tibetan Buddha statuette. He is represented seated on an oval base with a double row of inverted lotus petals in the posture of meditation: legs in the attitude of the lotus (vajraparyanka), hands in a position of meditation placed in his lap (dhyana mudra), his back of the right hand resting on the palm of the left hand. He is dressed in a thick monastic mantle covering him entirely, the latter richly decorated with clouds and representations of the Buddha. The chest hosts a first image of the Awakened represented in a mandorla and figured seated on a lotiform base in the abhaya mudra position (absence of fear). The back of the subject receives two images of the Buddha, both of which are part of a mandorla. In its upper part is the child Buddha standing on a lotiform base, right arm bent and raised towards the sky, left arm along the body, hand pointing towards the ground. The lower part represents the Buddha reclining on the right side in the Mahaparanirvana position.
These three representations of the Buddha can be interpreted as an allegory of the life of the Awakened: from birth to awakening, to complete deliverance leading to Nirvana.
The very soft face is characterized by perfectly curved eyebrow arches overhanging almond-shaped eyes with half-closed lids. A long thin nose surmounts a small mouth above a prognathic chin. The hairstyle elaborated and materialized by fine incisions receives a high cranial protuberance (usnisa) from which emerges a small rasmi in the shape of a lotus bud. The ears with distended lobes symbolizing the royal origin of the Buddha, the neck adorned with the three folds of beauty.
The base sealed with a copper plate adorned with a double vajra.