wood figurine of Buddha
Object numberP1786
Titlewood figurine of Buddha
DescriptionCarved wooden Buddha, his robe gilded and painted in gold and red. The head is detached from the body, and the back of the head is missing. The figurine is attached to a cardboard base carrying a label from the Arbuthnot Museum.
Buddha is seated in the lotus position with his hands in the 'Bhumiparsa mudra' position, the gesture of touching the earth, showing his unshakeable faith and resolution. Mudras are a non-verbal mode of communication and self-expression, consisting of hand gestures and finger-postures. 'Bhumisparsa' translates into 'touching the earth'. It is more commonly known as the 'earth witness' mudra. This mudra, formed with all five fingers of the right hand extended to touch the ground, symbolizes the Buddha's enlightenment under the bodhi tree, when he summoned the earth goddess, Sthavara, to bear witness to his attainment of enlightenment. The right hand, placed upon the right knee in earth-pressing mudra, and complemented by the left hand, which is held flat in the lap in the dhyana mudra of meditation, symbolizing the union of method and wisdom, samasara and nirvana, and also the realizations of the conventional and ultimate truths. It is in this posture that Shakyamuni overcame the obstructions of Mara while meditating on Truth. Burmese. 18th-19th century.
Production period18th-19th century
Object namefigurine, Buddha
Materialwood
Dimensions
- height: 6.7 cm
width: 3 cm