492 - SEATED SILVER BUDDHA THAILAND / LAOS 18TH CENTURY

SEATED SILVER BUDDHA THAILAND / LAOS 18TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 6,5 cm Wide 3,5 cm Depth 2 cm Weight: 38 grams A slender silver-toned Buddha seated in meditation upon a high, flared pedestal with lightly incised geometric ornament. The figure has a pointed finial above the head, elongated earlobes and a robe crossing the chest in simple diagonal folds. One hand rests palm-up in the lap while the other descends over the knee toward the ground. Areas of dark tarnish settle around the arms and the folds of the robe, contrasting with the brighter, worn surfaces of the face and base. The earth-touching gesture refers to the moment when the Buddha called the earth to witness his enlightenment. Images of this kind are widespread in the Theravada traditions of mainland Southeast Asia, where the seated Buddha's stillness and restrained expression embody spiritual concentration. The bronze is a fine expression of this shared Southeast Asian Buddhist sculptural tradition.