Buddha Sakyamuni
The historical Buddha Sakyamuni is shown seated in the virasana position, with his right leg folded over the left. His left hand rests on his lap with the palm open and turned upwards, while his right hand is placed over his right leg near the knee with the fingers pointing down to the ground. This gesture is known as the bhumisparsa or maravijaya gesture and refers to the moment shortly before the Buddha's enlightenment. By gently touching the ground with his right hand, the Buddha calls the earth to be his witness (the meaning of 'bhumisparsa') and by this overcomes the powers of illusion ('maravijaya'). This type of Buddha image became increasingly popular from the 13th century CE onwards and is particularly associated with the Theravada Buddhist traditions of Myanmar and Thailand. The Buddha wears a monk’s robe over his left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder bare. An undergarment is clearly visible at the waist and an additional sash is placed over the left shoulder. The Buddha's hair consists of a mass of tight curls kept in place by a plain hairband across the brow. A low protuberance on the top of the head (usnisa) is also covered in hair curls and topped by a stylised flame motif. This hair form, the naturalistic proportions of the body, the delineation of the face and the simple, indented form of the base are all typical of the U Thong B style of Buddha images from Central Thailand and can be dated to the early Ayuthaya period of the 14th to 15th centuries CE.