Antique Buddha bronze statue, Ayutthaya Kingdom, 1500-1750 AD Height: 23.5 inches = 60 cm; Condition: genuine antique patina with some rust; Provenance: private collection in St Petersburg, Florida, USA The Ayutthaya Kingdom - the Empire of Ayutthaya (1569–1767),[29] or the Ayutthaya Empire,[30] was a Siamese kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 12 March 1351[1] to 7 April 1767, centered around the city of Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. European travellers in the early 16th century called Ayutthaya one of the three great powers of Asia (alongside Vijayanagar and China).[1] The Ayutthaya Kingdom is considered to be the precursor of modern Thailand, and its developments are an important part of the history of Thailand.[1] Karana mudra: The Karana gesture has its index finger and little finger pointing straight upwards, while the other fingers fold into the palm. The Karana Buddha can be depicted both seated and standing. The meaning of this gesture is to ward off evil and to get rid of demons and negative energy. A mudra is a symbolic hand gesture and finger posture that acts as a non-verbal mode of communication and self-expression. The mudra helps to evoke symbolic meanings of the specific mudra used to the mind. We can observe these mudras used in various forms of traditional and folk dances, yoga and meditation, sculptures, etc. Besides, Buddhist arts also depict the mudra as they are regarded as the general guidelines of the spiritual gestures portrayed and taught by the Buddha. Additionally, when Buddhist followers practice meditation while confronting Buddha Statue, the mudra maintained as that of Buddha statue helps to evoke symbolic representations of that mudra to the mind. This will help to achieve what they are seeking for.