334 - SEATED BRONZE BUDDHA BURMA 19TH CENTURY MANDALAY

SEATED BRONZE BUDDHA BURMA 19TH CENTURY MANDALAY Dimensions: Height 37 cm Wide 27 cm Depth 17 cm Weight: 10.137 grams A substantial bronze Buddha sits cross-legged on a low, rounded pedestal, the right hand reaching down to touch the earth while the left rests open in the lap. The smooth, gently smiling face is framed by elongated earlobes and closely arranged curls rising into a prominent ushnisha. A robe passes diagonally across the torso and gathers in broad, deeply modelled folds over one shoulder, its crisp edges contrasting with the polished simplicity of the exposed arm. Warm brown highlights emerge from the darker patina, lending the serene figure a strong sculptural presence. The earth-touching gesture, or bhumisparsha mudra, recalls the moment when Shakyamuni called the earth to witness his accumulated merit and the certainty of his awakening. This episode became one of the defining subjects of Buddhist art in Myanmar, where the seated Buddha forms a powerful focus for contemplation and worship. Together they convey the decisive instant of enlightenment with an economy of movement and an exceptional sense of repose.