A seated Buddha statue in resin, painted by hand. The robe is a glossy teal, while the face, hair, right shoulder and hands are finished in antique gold. It is 30 cm tall, 23 cm wide and 12 cm deep, and weighs about 0.8 kg. Made in Indonesia.
The hand that touches the earth
Seated cross-legged, the Buddha rests his left hand palm up in his lap, while his right hand reaches over the knee with the fingers pointing to the ground. In Buddhist tradition, Siddhartha Gautama sat like this beneath the bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya. When Mara, the tempter, questioned his right to enlightenment, the Buddha touched the earth and called it as his witness.
Its name is the earth-touching mudra, mudra being the word for the hand positions of Buddhist statues. It is one of the most common Buddha images in the temples of Thailand and Myanmar.
Antique gold beside the teal
Gold is not laid on evenly here. It is darker in the small curls of the hair and the hollows of the face, and brighter on the raised parts, which makes the statue look older. The folds of the robe show clearly under the glossy paint. As it is painted by hand, the edges of the colours may vary slightly from the photo.
Where to put a 30 cm statue
Even on its own, a statue of this size holds its place on a chest of drawers or among books. If space is tight, its 12 cm depth means it also fits on a narrower windowsill. The teal goes well with white, sand tones or light wood.
In many Buddhist homes a Buddha statue is placed somewhere raised, on a table or cabinet, and never on the floor. If you would like to follow this, the top of a low cabinet suits it well. For indoor use; dust it with a soft, dry brush.