Buddha on the Bhumisparsha Mudra position

“Buddha is seen in position to take on the Earth as a witness of his renouncing to the earthly pleasures and wishes offered by the Mara demon (illusion) in exchange of his non-enlightenment. The mandorla behind the image is an oval halo, almond-shaped (“mandorla”, in Italian) that envelops some Buddha representations. Pieces with intact mandorlas are very rare. “