This seated Buddha has his right hand reaching down towards the ground in the Bhumisparsha mudra, with his left resting face-down over his crossed legs. The Bhumisparsha or ‘earth witness’ mudra (gesture or body position with a symbolic meaning and connection to an event in the life of the Buddha) represents the connection which the Buddha made with the earth when he was close to achieving Nirvana. The demon Mara was trying to frighten him and interrupt his meditation, and as part of this challenged him to produce a witness to agree that he had the right to achieve enlightenment. As the Buddha touched the ground, the earth itself appeared as his witness, allowing him to defeat Mara and prove himself worthy of reaching Nirvana.

Key attributes of images of the Buddha which can be seen in this example are the elongated earlobes, serene smiling expression with downcast eyes, and pointed ushnisha (a protuberance on the top of the head which is one of the key characteristics of the Buddha and which symbolises enlightenment) covered with tight curls. Within East Asian belief, particularly Buddhism, large ears are seen as a sign of wisdom and compassion. The Buddha is often depicted with elongated ears to symbolise his ability to hear the cries of those who are suffering, and his sympathy and willingness to help ease their pain. It is therefore a comforting image, as it reminds those who see it that there is hope for an end to their sufferings through the search for enlightenment and the compassion of those who have reached it. The base on which this Buddha is sitting is decorated with layers of circular protrusions.