
Bronze
This crowned Buddha from Bagan followed the sculptural style previously developed in eastern India. The crown is elaborately constructed with five leaf-shaped prongs, but the finial has broken off. Ribbons extend outwards in fine and elaborate openwork.
The Buddha sits in lotus position on a Sumeru throne. A stole covers the shoulders and drapes down the arms, while the lower body is clothed in a long dhoti. The body is adorned with large earrings, a collar necklace, and bracelets. A bowl is held in the figure’s left hand and a medicinal fruit in the right hand. The Buddha is often depicted as a physician, because his teachings are likened to medicine.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture A-F, page 266.