This sculpture shows the
Buddha in a thinking or meditating posture.His hands are placed in his lap in the posture of dhyana
mudra, the
mudra of meditation.The left hand is placed below the right, symbolizing that the accomplishment of method or skillful means has to arise from a direct understanding of wisdom.
He is represented with extended earlobes, now empty of adornment, but which were once stretched out of shape by the weight of the costly jewelry he wore before renouncing his princely status.
In Mahayana Buddhist art, the Buddha is typically represented as a young, ideally proportioned man dressed in simple monk's robes. But he is distinguished from ordinary humans by thirty-two sacred identifying features, or Lakshana. Among the most frequently observed is the Ushnisha, a cranial bump on the head of the Buddha symbolizing wisdom. This can be observed in this artwork.
This sculpture shows a strong Burmese influence.
Click Here to read our detailed newsletter: Life of Buddha in Legend and Art.
Sculptures
