Bouddha - 18th c. - Statue - Myanmar/Burma

Shakyamuni Buddha seated in the earth-touching gesture (bhūmi sparśa). Burma (Myanmar), Shan State at the beginning of the Konbaung period. 18th century. Bronze with a brown patina bearing traces of lacquer. Dimensions: Height: 16.5 cm.

This bronze statue for private devotion depicts the historical Buddha seated in sattvaparyanka. The work bears witness to the stylistic transition of 18th-century Burmese art, combining Ava’s geometric rigor with the softness of the nascent Konbaung period.

The face exhibits the canons of Upper Burma, with high, very arched eyebrows, finely incised half-closed eyes, and a straight slightly upturned nose. The earlobes, stretched by former princely jewelry, descend parallel to the neck without touching the shoulders. The hair, composed of tight, conical curls, is bounded by a fine frontal band. The whole rises toward an ushnisha crowned by a flame-like terminal knop (rasmi), symbol of supreme enlightenment.

The Buddha wears the monastic robe draped over the left shoulder (sanghati), leaving the right shoulder bare. The drapery is of great linear sobriety, closely following the torso without the baroque folds of later periods. The right hand lightly touches the ground in bhūmīsparśa mudrā, calling the Earth to witness his merits in the face of Mara’s temptations. The left hand, placed on the lap, shows a hollowed palm intended to receive a removable attribute missing (alms bowl or nectar pot).

The Buddha rests on a high, multi-tiered architectural throne, imitating the great monasterial altars of Burmese monasteries. It consists of a polygonal seat in an “hourglass” waist atop a tall conical base flaring with steps.

Very beautiful patina of dark brown usage, softened on the salient parts by ritual handling, with residual sediment deposits in the hollows. Good overall condition.

Provenance: Kanaka The Collection Portugal
Shipped with UPS and insured