Seated at Ease, Hand at Heart

Viewing notes

A viewer's written impression — not a buyer review or first-hand record

This copper-toned seated monk has the ease of a man who has just finished a long, good conversation. Shaven-headed with long earlobes and a full, rounded face, he lowers his gaze in quiet contentment. One hand rests lightly against the robe at his chest; the other lies loose over the raised foot, the legs folded beneath him on an uneven rocky seat, a single monastic shoe peeking out below the hem. The robe sweeps diagonally from the collar and spreads over the knees in layered folds that settle like a gentle slope onto the base. The copper surface is mellow and unshowy, with no ornament anywhere — the friendliness of the piece comes entirely from posture and expression. It suits a corner of a shrine for quiet devotion, and just as well a study or tea room, where its calm gives a busy mind somewhere to land.