Burmese, Thai-Style, Inscribed, Silver-Clad Votive Buddha Image

This silver clad, votive figure of Buddha is in a Thai style, but has a dedicatory inscription in Burmese, and is from a part of Burma that once was under Siamese control.

The figure comprises worked sheet silver over a natural resin core.

The Buddha sits cross-legged on a high platform, in the ‘calling-the-earth-to-witness’ pose. This refers to the occasion when the Buddha, seated in meditation under the Bodhi tree on the evening before his enlightenment, is challenged by the demon Mara to prove that he had given alms. The Buddha touched the ground with his right hand and asked the earth to bear witness to his past good deeds (Fraser-Lu & Stadtner, 2015, p. 152).

The reverse is inscribed in Burmese with the place name of Dawei, the Burmese date of 1242 (1880 AD) and also gives the donor’s name as Maung Shwe Ni. Dawei (formerly known as Tavoy in colonial times) is in the far south of Burma. The name ‘Dawei’ derives from the local Mon language which means ‘to sit cross-legged’ – a reference to the Buddha’s sitting posture

The front of the platform is chased with a leafy, floral motif which suggests southern Thai-Malay influence.

The image has a fine patina and plenty of signs of age and veneration.