Burma, 12^th-13^th century. Finely cast seated in dhyanasana with his left hand resting in his lap and the right lowered in bhumisparsha mudra. He is wearing a diaphanous sanghati draped over his left shoulder and with folds gathering below his feet. His oval face with silver-inlaid almond-shaped eyes and a circular urna, aquiline nose, and pursed lips forming a serene smile, flanked by long pendulous earlobes, his hair arranged in tight curls rising to a domed ushnisha. The back with a long and massive tang.

Provenance: English trade.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear and weathering as expected, some losses with associated old fills mostly around the base, casting flaws, foundry grit, nicks and dents, shallow surface scratches, encrustations. Naturally grown, rich malachite-green patina overall.

Weight: 3,408 g
Dimensions: Height 26 cm

The Kingdom of Pagan was the first Burmese kingdom to unify the regions that would later constitute modern-day Myanmar. Pagan's 250-year rule over the Irrawaddy valley and its periphery laid the foundation for the ascent of Burmese language and culture, the spread of Bamar ethnicity in Upper Myanmar, and the growth of Theravada Buddhism in Myanmar and in mainland Southeast Asia. The Burmese language and culture gradually became dominant in the upper Irrawaddy valley, eclipsing the Pyu, Mon, and Pali norms by the late 12th century. Theravada Buddhism slowly began to spread to the village level although Tantric, Mahayana, Brahmanic, and animist practices remained heavily entrenched at all social strata. Pagan's rulers built over 10,000 Buddhist temples in the Bagan Archaeological Zone of which over 2,000 remain today. The wealthy donated tax-free land to religious authorities. The kingdom went into decline in the mid-13th century as the continuous growth of tax-free religious wealth by the 1280s had severely affected the crown's ability to retain the loyalty of courtiers and military servicemen. This ushered in a vicious circle of internal disorders and external challenges by the Arakanese, Mons, Mongols and Shans. Repeated Mongol invasions between 1277 and 1301 toppled the four-century-old kingdom.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related Pagan bronze figure of a seated Buddha, with a similar tang to the back (referred to as a “strut”), 34 cm high, also dated 12^th-13^th century, in the British Museum, registration number 1971,0727.1. Compare a related Pagan bronze figure of a standing Buddha, with a similar expression and silver-inlaid eyes, 50.5 cm high, also dated 12^th-13^th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1993.235.1.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 17 September 1998, lot 170
Price: USD 134,500 or approx. EUR 231,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large bronze figure of Buddha, Burma, Pagan period, 12^th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related expression, with similar silver-inlaid eyes, and rich green patina. Note the standing pose and larger size (50.5 cm).