Buddha. Burma, XVIII century. Bronze. With... Lot 39

Buddha. Burma, XVIII century. Bronze. With gold patina. Good general condition. Measurements: 40 x 27 x 19 cm. This is a unique piece, being a Burmese bronze casting of the eighteenth century with some Thai influence in the details of the throne: it has an openwork lower part and the upper part with chisels that synthesize the drawing of a lotus flower. A special and rare type of Burmese representation. It represents the Buddha seated in the posture of the lotus flower and performing 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. We also see the eyelids folded, symbol of concentration and purity, for its similarity to the petals of the lotus, and complete a serene face with a sketched smile, symbol of balance and serenity of a perfect being. The elongated lobes of the ears allude to the large earrings worn by members of the upper classes in India contemporary to Sakyamuni, and represent the concepts of greatness, nobility and wisdom.