Buddha; East Asia, late 19th century. Polychrome marble. Measurements: 28.5 x 8 x 6.5 cm (sculpture); 6 x 8.5 x 8.5 x 8 cm (base). Round sculpture representing Buddha full-length, dressed in a robe and mantle and wearing a large necklace of sinuous forms. It is worked in marble and retains traces of polychromy. As is typical of images of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, it is characterised by the various "lakshana" or iconographic symbols. The first of these is the bun hairstyle, a symbol of meditation, concentrated spiritual life and wisdom. The eyelids are a symbol of spiritual concentration and also of purity, due to their similarity to the petals of the lotus, and complete a serene face with a sketched smile, symbol of the balance and serenity of a perfect being. The elongated earlobes allude to the large earrings worn by members of the upper classes in India at the time of Sakyamuni, and represent the concepts of greatness, nobility and wisdom. Other "lakshana" present here are the neck folds symbolising happiness, the monastic robe representing austerity, detachment and renunciation of material goods, and the cincture alluding to the Buddha's connection with the Buddhist community.