Burmese Buddhist images executed in bronze and retaining such a strongly individual regional character are considerably less common than the lacquered and gilded wooden sculptures that dominate Burmese religious production during the Konbaung period. The combination, in this example, of a particularly distinctive lotus-form headdress, the monastic alms bowl, the richness of the detailing and a remarkable ancient surface makes this an exceptional and extremely rare work.
 
The Buddha is depicted seated in virasana upon an imposing tiered throne composed of several moulded registers. The upright and frontal body creates a powerful and hieratic silhouette. The broad and serene face displays elongated, half-closed eyes beneath high arched eyebrows, a straight nose and a delicately smiling mouth. The elongated earlobes descend on either side of the face towards the shoulders.
 
The head is crowned by a remarkable stylised lotus-bud headdress, composed of broad incised petals arranged around a rounded summit. This treatment, markedly different from more conventional representations of the Buddha's hair, constitutes one of the sculpture's most distinctive features and gives the figure an immediately recognisable identity.
 
The iconography is equally unusual. The left hand, open in front of the abdomen, supports a carefully modelled alms bowl surmounted by a globular form, while the right hand descends towards the knee. The bowl directly evokes the Buddha's monastic life and the principle of renunciation of material possessions. The juxtaposition of this ascetic iconography with the monumentality of the throne and the rich ornamentation of the figure creates a work of remarkable presence.
 
The garment is treated in a particularly graphic manner. Numerous parallel folds articulate the torso and back, while a broad band crosses the chest diagonally. The shoulders bear circular elements decorated with radiating motifs. The legs are covered by deeply incised drapery, whose broad scrolling folds animate the lower part of the composition.
The surface constitutes one of the essential qualities of the work. The bronze retains a deep and complex ancient patina combining dark brown and coppery tones with areas of green oxidation, punctuated by remnants of reddish mineralisation. The raised areas, gradually polished through handling and use, reveal the warmer golden tones of the underlying metal. This interplay between darkened surfaces and highlighted reliefs beautifully emphasises the modelling and bears witness to a long history of devotional use.
 
The sculpture is hollow-cast, as indicated by the opening visible beneath the base. Casting irregularities, surface wear, old alterations and accumulated patination all contribute to the powerful archaeological character of the piece.