Buddha. Laos, 18th century.

Buddha. Laos, XVIII century.
Bronze.
It has slight damage.
Measurements: 29 x 17 x 11 cm.

Sculpture from Laos of a Buddha seated on a throne emulating a cogin in the upper part, in the posture of the lotus flower and performing a mudra that symbolizes that he takes the earth as a witness. It is the so-called Bhumisparsa mudra, or gesture of touching the earth. It alludes to the moment in which Buddha solved the problem of ending suffering when he was under the tree in Bodhi-Gaya. We can also identify numerous lakshana, iconographic symbols that identify the Buddhas. The first we see is the bun hairstyle, symbol of meditation, of spiritual life (inspired by a stupa). Together with the almond-shaped eyes, a serene face is completed by the sketched smile, symbol of the balance and serenity of a perfect being. The elongated earlobes allude to the large earrings worn by members of the upper classes in India at the time of Sakyamuni, and represent the concepts of greatness, nobility and wisdom.