Standing Buddha

This bronze Buddha stands upright but with a slight flexion in his left hip hinting at motion. He is clad in a monastic robe that covers his left shoulder and leaves his right shoulder bare. The garment clings to his torso but falls loosely from his left arm.

Images of this type derive, either directly or indirectly, from prototypes in South India and Sri Lanka. They have been found in many regions of Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, and several islands in Indonesia (Sulawesi, Borneo, Lombok, and Java). There is scholarly disagreement about whether bronzes of this type were exported from South Asia or are early local renditions inspired by Indian models.