Buddha statue

The original from which this figure is moulded, dates to the 12th-13th centuries, and is one of the finest known Burmese bronzes of the Pagan period. At the height of its prosperity the city of Pagan was a flourishing and important Buddhist centre. Thousands of temples were built in the city, and even today in its abandoned and ruined state, approximately 2,000 survive. This figure represents the Buddha touching the earth with his right hand, recalling the moment when he called upon the Earth to witness his Enlightenment. This posture, or mudrã is extremely common among Burmese images of the Buddha. Stylistically the influence of eastern Indian sculptural traditions is still strong. Moulded from the original in the Department of Oriental Antiquities.