Laos, 18th century, Maravijaya Buddha in bronze with dark patina

Laos
18th century
Bronze with dark patina
37 x 22 cm
Accidents to the base, wear and tear
Private collection

The Buddha is represented seated on a pedestal decorated with lotus petals, his legs in the sattvaparyanka position, his right leg resting on his left leg, his right hand resting on his knee, his fingers pointing to the ground, thus taking the Earth as a witness (bumisparsha mudra). The left hand is placed in his lap, palm facing the sky. The body is corpulent, with broad shoulders, strong arms, delicate hands with long tapered fingers and a broad chest inflated with the breath of meditation. He is dressed in samgathi, the monastic habit, leaving the right shoulder uncovered, with a piece of cloth placed on the left shoulder and falling straight down to the navel.
The face is characterized by perfectly rounded eyebrows overhanging large, half-open almond-shaped eyes encrusted with mother-of-pearl, revealing pupils highlighted in black. The aquiline nose overhangs a mouth with thin lips sketching a slight smile, the neck presenting the three classical folds of beauty. The skull is covered with a multitude of small spikes and topped by the usnisa (cranial protuberance) from which springs a flaming rasmi borrowed from Sinhalese images. The ears with their lobes distended by the weight of the jewels that the Buddha wore as a prince symbolize the royal origin of the Awakened One.

The representation of our Buddha is part of the classical images of Buddhist statuary and refers to a particular episode in the life of the Awakened One. The latter being close to attaining enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, Mara, the god of unfulfilled desires, tries to distract the Blessed One and claims the throne of enlightenment for himself. Faced with the repeated assaults of Mara, the Buddha remains impassive and by this symbolic gesture, takes the Earth as witness to his oath to preach to all creatures the means of escaping the causal cycle of reincarnations.

Ref: YNM2MLYEEQ