Buddha in meditation. Burma (Myanmar), 18th-19th centuries.

Buddha in meditation. Burma (Myanmar), 18th-19th centuries.
Bronze sculpture, with traces of gilding.
In good general condition, with homogeneous patina and attractive chromatic variations.
Measurements: 105 x 79 x 43 cm.

Superb representation of Buddha in meditation position, executed according to the mudra of "touching the earth", culminating moment in which the Enlightened One invokes the earth as a witness of his victory over temptations.

The figure, of large proportions and marked frontality, responds to a monumental conception destined to emphasize the spiritual presence of the image. The face, with a serene and restrained expression, with narrowed eyes and a slight smile, conveys an ideal of inner calm characteristic of Burmese sculpture.

The work clearly belongs to Burma (Myanmar), within the Shan style or in a transitional phase towards the Amarapura period (late 18th-19th century). Formal elements such as the dome-shaped ushnisha covered with curls without a flaming top -unlike the Thai models-, as well as the marked line separating the hair from the forehead, confirm this affiliation. Equally significant is the treatment of the mantle (sanghati), whose front fold adopts a wavy rhythm on the torso.

Also noteworthy is the treatment of the hands, especially the right hand, whose fingers of equal length respond to a literal interpretation of the canonical descriptions of the "marks of the Great Man", a distinctive feature of the Burmese tradition.

Due to its size, casting quality and strong aesthetic presence, this is a particularly decorative piece and, at the same time, representative of the Burmese sculptural tradition, capable of being integrated both in a collector's context and in high-level contemporary spaces.