18th Century, Gilt Bronze Virasana Buddha in Bhumisparsha Mudra, Art of Thailand

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18th Century, Gilt Bronze Virasana Buddha in Bhumisparsha Mudra, Art of Thailand

About the Item

A brilliant era opened in Thailand with the installation of the sovereigns in Bangkok in 1782. Called "Ratanakosin", "Jewel of Indra", this period saw flourish an art that has lost nothing of its originality and its verve. This gold-lacquered bronze Buddha is depicted in the attitude of "Taking the Earth to Witness" or "Bhumisparsa-Mudra". Sitting in "virasana", his right leg folded over the other, his palm left hand turned towards the sky and leaning against the right heel, he touches the ground with the fingertips of his right hand. Widely illustrated in the statutes of South-East Asia, this gesture evokes an important episode in the life of the Master: his victory over the Mara. Indeed, strong of his many merits acquired during his previous lives, he remains unshaken against the turpitudes of the Demon. To testify to the power of Meditation, he touches the earth from which the Goddess Bhumi arises, paying him homage. He is dressed in the traditional monastic dress, which bare the right shoulder, and which falls into a stole from the left shoulder on the front and back. Following an iconographic rule set up at the end of the Ayuthya period, the garment is entirely embroidered and trimmed with stripes. Thus, the body molded in this dress without fold covered with a thousand flowers and enhanced with golden lacquer, evokes the irradiant luminescence emanating from Buddha. The hairstyle is made of rows of small loops rising to the extreme edge of the "usniça" embellished at the origin of a flame, symbol of the union between the earth and the sky. It gives off the ears of the elongated lobes, which are, with the "folds of beauty" of the neck, the toes of equal length, the domed breast and the cranial protuberance (the seat of his superhuman knowledge) so many attributes of perfection granted To the Blessed One according to a canonical list. The face with its delicate features is marked by a deep sense of interiority and contemplation. The arched brow arches meet to form the nasal ridge. They underline the meditative gaze filtering under the half-closed eyelids. The mouth with firm design comes alive with a delicate smile that adds to his expression of well-being. The elegance of its proportions, the refinement of its harmonious lines, the vigor of the model and the beauty of expression and retention enhanced by the richness of the luminous garment. Art of Thailand 18th century, Rattanakosin Kingdom ? Gilded bronze ? Dimensions: Height 83 cm Width 49 cm.

Dimensions:
Height: 32.68 in (83 cm)Width: 20.48 in (52 cm)Depth: 12.6 in (32 cm)
Style:
Other (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze,Cast
Place of Origin:
Thailand
Period:
Mid-18th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1750
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Central Hong-Kong, HK
Reference Number:
Seller: LS831stDibs: LU255439033193