Standing Buddha

Placid and serene, the Buddha stands equipoise with his right hand in the gesture of teaching (vitarka mudra) with forefinger and thumb together. The other hand likely would have held the same position. As a renunciant, he does not wear regal attire or jewelry, but instead only a transparent robe that clings close to his body and folds around the ankles. His face is serene, with pronounced features including a streamlined brow over almond-shaped eyes and full lips, and his snail shell curls are surmounted by a conical ushnisha. His long lobes emphasize his humble appearance.
Buddhism spread from India into Southeast Asia primarily during the course of the sixth through ninth centuries. Art was a major conduit of this expanding network. Inspired by sculptural imagery from Sarnath, in northern India, artists in Thailand and Cambodia developed their own form for the Buddha that was consistent across the region. In doing so, they made artistic choices that set them apart from the Indian models. For example, the position of the hands in vitarka mudra is rarely seen in Indian figures of the Buddha.