This exquisitely detailed sculpture of the Buddha portrays him in a position of pure serenity. He is seated in a full lotus position upon an elaborately decorated platform, and his peaceful downturned expression shows outwardly the sense of freedom from suffering that he has attained by reaching nirvana. This sculpture possesses several characteristic features of Buddha depictions, including an ushnisha and elongated earlobes. The ushnisha is a protuberance on the top of the head which is one of the Buddha’s key characteristics and which symbolises his enlightenment. Here, the ushnisha is covered by dots, representing the curls of his hair. 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. His clothing is draped forwards over his left shoulder, and ends in a cascade of beautifully curled fabric. This is mirrored in the fabric which pools around his feet. Traces of black and gold paint are visible across the marble surface, and details of the figure’s eyes are also marked out with paint.

The Buddha’s hands are held in the Bhumisparsha mudra, with his right hand reaching downwards across his right knee towards the ground, and his left resting face-up on his left thigh. ‘Mudra’ literally means ‘seal’ or ‘gesture’ and is used to refer to a pose, usually of the hands, which has a symbolic meaning and connection to an event in the life of the Buddha. The Bhumisparsha or ‘earth witness’ mudra 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.

The marble used for Buddha sculptures in Myanmar often comes from the hill range of Sagyin, a village north of Mandalay. This area is an offshoot of the mountainous Mogok area, known as the “Valley of Rubies” because of the high-quality gemstones that have been found there since ancient times. Rubies are therefore also found in the Sagyin hills among the marble.

The Shan people are a distinct ethnic group that today constitute Myanmar’s largest minority group. However, from the 13th until the 16th Century, they dominated most of the country. They are largely Buddhist, and their language and customs are closely related to the Thai and Laotians, their neighbors to the south and east. In the 19th Century, long after their power had eroded, they were distributed among thirty petty states that paid tribute first to the Burman King, then to the British. This arrangement remained more or less in tact until 1922 when the Federated Shan States were joined together. In 1947, a unified Shan States was created under the Burmese Constitution. Although much of their autonomy has been relinquished to the central government, the Shan retain their unique cultural identity and ethnic heritage.