BUDDHA OF MEDICINE

Description Seated in padmasana, this Buddha holds a small medicine bowl in the palm of his left hand, folded in front of his belly, while the right hand (resting in varadamudra on his leg) holds the cherry plum while his index and middle fingers are extended. He bears the wan emblem (Sanskrit svastika) on his chest, a symbol of good luck. The entire statue appears to have been gilded, although traces of gold are less evident on the round, smiling face. Compared to the rather fine features of the face, the fleshy earlobes are striking. His hair, above the broad, low forehead, are arranged in flattened and wound clockwise curls: the hair rises towards the ushnisha (rouji), which appears to be a simple lengthening of the skull. A smooth protuberance is located halfway between the forehead and the top of the skull. The wooden base in a later addition.