Buddha from the Chiang Saen period, northern Thailand,... Lot 26

Buddha from the Chiang Saen period, northern Thailand, 16th century or earlier. Bronze. Intense green black patina. Good state of preservation. Measurements: 30 x 22 x 11,5 cm; 35 cm high with stand. Seated Buddha belonging to the school of Chiang Saen, an enclave with important Buddhist temples. It represents a Buddha seated in the posture of the lotus flower (symbol of purity) and performs a mudra that symbolizes that he takes the earth as a witness. It is the so-called Bhumisparsa mudra, or gesture of touching the earth. It alludes to the moment in which Buddha solved the problem of ending suffering when he was under the tree in Bodhi-Gaya. We can also identify numerous lakshana, iconographic symbols that identify the Buddhas. The first we see is the bun hairstyle, symbol of meditation, of spiritual life (inspired by a stupa). Together with the half-closed eyes, a serene face is completed by the 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.