Laos, 17th - 18th Century, Maravijaya Buddha In Bronze With Dark Patina

Laos
XVIIth - XVIIIth century
Bronze
30 x 16 cm
Accidents and deformations on the base / Nice old patina
Private collection

The Buddha is represented seated on a double stepped base, the lower part decorated with a row of small gadroons overhanging leaves of stylized lotuses, the latter placed above large quadrilobed openwork motifs The Awakened is seated in the sattvaparyanka position, the right leg resting on the left leg and the hands in bumisparsha mudra, right hand resting on the knee, fingers pointing upwards ground and the left hand placed in her bosom, palm turned towards the sky. The body has broad shoulders and a chest swollen with the breath of meditation. The powerful arms feature delicate hands with long, slender fingers. The Buddha is dressed in the samgathi, the monastic habit, leaving the right shoulder uncovered, a flap of the fabric placed on the left shoulder and falling in a straight line on the navel. The face with its great interiority is classic of Lao statuary: the eyes with half-closed eyelids (formerly embellished with silver) surmounted by perfectly rounded eyebrow arches meeting at the base of an aquiline nose in the shape of a an eagle's beak overhanging a mouth with fine lips sketching a slight smile, the neck presenting the three folds of beauty. The skull is covered with a multitude of small pimples and surmounted at the top by the usnisa (cranial protuberance) from which springs a high flamed rasmi. The pointed ears with long lobes distended by the weight of the jewels that the Buddha wore as a prince symbolize the royal origin of the Awakened.

The representation of our Buddha is part of the classic images of the canons of Buddhist statuary and refers to a particular episode in the life of the Awakened. The latter being close to reaching Enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, Mâra, the god of unceasingly unfulfilled desires seeks to distract the Blessed and claims to claim for himself the throne of Awakening. Faced with the repeated attacks of Mâra, the Buddha remains impassive and by this symbolic gesture, takes the Earth to witness his will to reach complete Enlightenment.