448 - SMALL SEATED BUDDHA BURMA (MYANMAR), KONBAUNG PERIOD, 18TH CENTURY

SMALL SEATED BUDDHA BURMA (MYANMAR), KONBAUNG PERIOD, 18TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 4 cm Wide 2,4 cm Depth 1,4 cm Weight: 38,2 grams A very small cast-bronze image of the Buddha seated cross-legged on an integral base. The right hand descends toward the knee in the earth-touching gesture, while the left rests in meditation in the lap. Despite the miniature scale, the figure retains clearly defined elongated earlobes, a rounded face, a prominent cranial protuberance and a robe leaving the right shoulder exposed. The bhumisparsha mudra recalls the moment immediately before enlightenment, when the Buddha called the earth to witness his victory over Mara. It became one of the most enduring images in Theravada Buddhist art, and compact bronzes of this kind were especially suited to private devotion, travel or a small domestic shrine. The surface has developed a rich brown patina with local wear and minor green oxidation.