Burma, 18th Century, Representation Of Buddha In Bronze In Bumisparsha Mudra Position

Burma
18th century
Bronze
15.5 x 6.6 cm
Beautiful old patina from excavation
Private collection


Representation of Burmese Buddha from the 18th century. He is represented seated in the bumisparsha mudra position on a stepped base, the left hand placed in his lap, palm turned towards the sky, the right hand resting on the knee, the fingers slightly curved (classic of Burmese art), pointed towards floor. The legs are crossed in the full lotus position (vajraparyanka), the soles of the feet facing upwards. This representation of the Buddha evokes Sakyamuni's victory over the demon Mara and can be interpreted as an allegory of enlightenment. The body is covered with the uttarasanga revealing the right shoulder, the chest is wide and the hips narrow, the drape presenting a long tail starting from the left shoulder and descending in a straight line to the navel. The majestically severe face has thin, perfectly curved eyebrows surmounting large almond-shaped half-closed eyes, the latter with heavy eyelids giving the face a great interiority, the aquiline nose overhanging a wide mouth sketching a pronounced smile. The hairstyle is characterized by a multitude of small pimples, the skull presenting a deformation (usnisa) surmounted by a rasmi in the shape of a lotus bud. The lobed ears distended by the weight of the ornaments symbolize the royal origin of the historical Buddha.

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.