This large seated statue of Shakyamuni Buddha displays the earth-touching gesture. His eyes are painted in, and traces of lacquer and gilding remain on the body and robes. The image was cast in one piece using the lost-wax method, a technique the Burmese excelled at. It is made in the Mandalay style that developed in the late eighteenth century, with its oval face framed by a fillet band, naturalistic drapery folds, and a fleshy ushnisha.On the front of the throne is an inscription in Burmese script: “[Myanmar] Era 1263 [1901], 13th waning day of Taw Thalin [September]. Donor Ma Sar U.” This suggests that the sculpture was made and donated in an act of merit-making to a temple or shrine.
