377 - SEATED BRONZE GILT BUDDHA NEPAL 15TH CENTURY

SEATED BRONZE GILT BUDDHA NEPAL 15TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 13,2 cm Wide 10 cm Depth 6 cm Weight: 587 grams A compact and richly gilded Buddha seated in the diamond posture upon a broad lotus pedestal, the right hand extending over the knee to touch the earth while the left lies palm-up in the lap. The robe passes diagonally across one shoulder, leaving much of the chest exposed. His rounded face is composed beneath a crown of tight blue-pigmented curls and a small pointed ushnisha; red accents survive at the ears and along the pedestal. The large lotus petals and the bright, slightly worn gilded surface give the sculpture a striking clarity despite its modest size. The earth-touching gesture, or bhumisparsha mudra, identifies the moment when Shakyamuni called the earth to witness his resolve on the threshold of Enlightenment. It is among the most enduring subjects of Buddhist art, joining an unshakable seated posture to a single decisive movement of the hand. Nepalese workshops, especially those of the Kathmandu Valley, developed a celebrated tradition of gilt-copper sacred images in which luminous surfaces and precise modelling reinforce the devotional force of the figure.