Meditation beneath a Pointed Aureole

Viewing notes

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

This wood-toned seated Buddha rests in full lotus upon a lotus throne, both hands folded in meditation in his lap, a swastika at his chest and an inward, tranquil expression. Behind him rises a tall pointed-arch aureole covered edge to edge with swirling scrollwork and clouds; in a small pavilion niche at its top sits a tiny Buddha, and three more small seated Buddhas climb each side of the aureole, ringing the central figure's round head-halo. Drapery spills over the lotus seat, and below stands a many-tiered hexagonal plinth, banded with beadwork and floral friezes and finishing in cloud-scroll feet. The whole piece keeps a warm honey colour with no painted ornament — its solemnity is built from the density of the carving alone. It belongs at the principal position of a shrine, or as the calm, upright centre of a room.