Antique Rattanakosin Revival Period Bronze Buddha in Earth Witnessing Mudra, Thailand (11246)

Description

Cast in the elegant Sukhothai revival style of the Rattanakosin period, the large and heavy bronze figure is Shakyamuni, the historical  Buddha seated in Earth Witnessing bhumisparsha mudra with his legs in padmasana with bare upward soles exposed and his left hand in the lap (dhyana mudra) and the right reaching over his knee with his elegantly elongated arm and fingers and touch the earth to call witness to his resisting the temptations of demon Mara and reaching Enlightenment. This very tranquil and serene pose shows his inner strength and confidence at the very moment of his Enlightenment. The serene, oval face is cast with downcast, contemplative eyes, gently arched eyebrows meeting at the bridge of a prominent hooked nose, and softly smiling lips, all flanked by elongated earlobes. His downcast eyes and half-closed lids under eyebrows that meet at the top of the nose emphasize his spiritual power, and the corpulent cheeks on his enlarged head seem to be purposely a tad out of proportion as a way to express the gravity of the event he is experiencing as well as his material power.T

Some of the lakshanas, the auspicious traits of the Buddha as a unique and great man or ideal and benevolent ruler are displayed: his upright body, well-formed nose; fine hair with snail-crowned head with circular soft curls, elongated body and face, his long arms, fingers of equal length, soft skin, well-rounded shoulders and a prominent lotus bulb-like ushnisha (cranial protuberance) atop his head surmounted in Thai style by a lotus bud finial. He is also presented with the three traditional rings at the neck indicating the three states of existence and large curved pendulous ears seen as auspicious and symbolize wisdom and compassion. He wears the simple monks robes of a conservative Theravada Buddhist monk with one shoulder bare and the  wet style drapery clinging to the body revealing the shape of his body underneath.

The figure rests upon a multi-tiered waisted pedestal intricately pierced with scrolling foliage motifs supported by four corner bracket feet. The highly decorative pierced throne and the statue’s composition is in the form of a double triangle: the three footed throne itself is a horizontal triangle as it recedes backwards in space, and the Buddha and the throne on which he sits form a vertical triangle.

As an antique revival piece rather than a modern reproduction, it possesses genuine age, craftsmanship history, and a naturally aged copper-carbonate patina on the underside base. The surface retains an excellent, variegated dark brown patina with areas of natural, encrusted green and white copper-carbonate oxidation heavily settled into the deep recesses of the base and hair curls. The hollow interior reveals a traditional, hand-formed sand-and-clay casting core matrix. The casting is structurally sound with no cracks, losses, or structural repairs. The bronze surfaces exhibit a beautiful, authentic aged patina with light rubbing to the raised high points of the limbs. Expected, genuine copper oxidation present within the recesses of the ornate base, hair knots, and unpolished hollow underside.