Seated Buddha Sculpture

Media: white marble carving with gold and red pigment
Cat no: BSARM001
Origin: Burma
Age: 18th c
Measurement (WxDxH): 21x10x35"

Carved with a single block of white marble and painted with gold and red pigments, the Buddha is seated on a lotus throne in an “adamantine position” (vajrasana), with his legs crossed and the soles of both feet turned up. His hands are in the gesture of Bhumisparsha mudra, a common depiction of seated Buddha in Southeast Asia that means calling the earth to witness his steadfastness. The style of this Buddha image is known as locally as “Shan Style”, characterized by the typical bell shape of the usnisa (turban) the Buddha worn on his head and his iconic serene facial expression. After the Burmese capital was moved to Ava in1636 during the Second Empire of the Taungoo dynasty (1551-1752), Buddha images were increasingly made of marble with a smooth finish on the surface and the minimum decoration, rendered the image a simple and pure appearance.