Burmese Buddha with Bhumisparsa Mudra

One hand reaches down and touches the earth. That is the whole story.

This Buddha with bhumisparsa mudra comes from Burma and dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. It is gilded wood with glass inlays. The gesture recalls the moment of enlightenment, when the Buddha is said to have called the earth to witness. He sits cross-legged on a stepped, faceted throne worked with scrolling vines. Green and clear glass glints along the sash and the headband. The gold is deep and even across the face and chest. It stands 34 inches high.

Very little here is asking for attention. It gets it anyway.