Sculpture

This seated figure of Buddha is in the Pagan style. The art of Pagan was mainly devoted to Theravada Buddhism, which found its chief means of expression through the Buddha figure. Seated images often show him in meditative posture with the soles of both feet uppermost (vajrasana), against a semi-architectural background which sometimes includes two birds facing outwards and holding a sprig of foliage or a string of jewels in their mouths. Crowned figures also make their appearance for the first time during this period.

Pagan is one of the most remarkable religious cities in the world. Between the conquest of Thaton in 1057 until Pagan was seized by the forces of Kublai Khan in 1287, about 13,000 temples, pagodas and kyaungs, and other religious structures were built at the site, a vast plain in central Burma (now Myanmar).