Thai Ayutthaya Style Gilt Buddha

Seated gilt-bronze Buddha on a wooden base.

• Presented in bhumisparsha, the mudra of enlightenment with the hair arranged in rows of spiral curls rising to form a domed ushnisha.
• When the Buddha meditated under the great bodhi tree, he was tempted by the demon of desire, Mara. When asked who would protect him and bear witness to his denial, the Buddha touched the earth with his right hand and proclaimed the earth as his witness, banishing Mara and his minions.