Thailand, Ancient Kingdom of Lan Na, 18th century, Maravijaya Buddha in bronze with ancient traces of gilding

Thailand / Lan Na style
18th century (possibly earlier)
Bronze, formerly lacquered / Old traces of gilding
37.5 x 23 cm
+/- 3850 g
Deformations to the base, accidents and visible missing parts located at the back of the subject
Private collection

The Buddha is depicted seated on a high, stepped, shuttle-shaped base, the latter embellished in the middle with a row of gadroons. The legs are in the sattvaparyanka position, the right leg resting on the left leg and the hands in bumisparsha mudra, the right hand resting on the knee, fingers pointing to the ground, the left hand placed in his lap, palm facing the sky.
The body is corpulent with broad shoulders and a powerful chest inflated with vital breath in contrast to long slender arms with delicate hands and long tapered fingers. He is dressed in the samgathi, the monastic habit, leaving the right shoulder uncovered, with a piece of cloth placed on the left shoulder and falling in a straight line over the navel.
The face is characterized by perfectly rounded superciliary arches overhanging large, half-open almond-shaped eyes with pupils highlighted in black. The aquiline nose in the shape of an eagle's beak overhangs a mouth with thin lips sketching a slight smile, the neck presenting the three classic folds of beauty.
The skull is covered with a multitude of small spikes and surmounted at the top by the usnisa (cranial protuberance) from which springs a rasmi in the shape of a lotus bud. The ears, with their lobes distended by the weight of the jewels that the Buddha wore as a prince, symbolize the royal origin of the Awakened One.

The representation of our Buddha is part of the classical images of Buddhist statuary and refers to a particular episode in the life of the Awakened One. The latter being close to attaining enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, Mara, the god of unfulfilled desires, tries to distract the Blessed One and claims the throne of enlightenment for himself. Faced with the repeated assaults of Mara, the Buddha remains impassive and by this symbolic gesture, takes the Earth as witness to his oath to preach to creatures the means of escaping the causal cycle of reincarnations and not of saving himself.

Ref: 1T5FB12FW0