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3 Feet Large Maitreya Buddha From Nepal

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$11,250

Maitreya or “the friendly one” is the Buddhist idea of the future Buddha, who as a potential Buddha resides in the Tushita heaven in the form of a Bodhisattva. Benevolent and powerful, the arrival of Maitreya for the Buddhist followers is a much-awaited divine occurrence, waiting for which, several enchanting icons of Maitreya have been produced. This large gilded copper Maitreya statue presents the Bodhisattva as a royal being, seated on an ornate Simhasana (literally “lion throne”).

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Item Code:	CAA218
Specifications:	Copper With Gold
Height:	36 inch
Width:	23 inch
Depth:	20 inch
Weight:	32 kg

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Bodhisattva Maitreya’s legs dangle in the front, for which the sculptor has provided a round lotus pedestal. The magnificence of Maitreya’s lower body garment has to be appreciated, which has been presented in the icon in soft layers and fine lines. His long golden scarf, knotted across his gleaming torso, flows on both sides in the form of thin fabric with elegant pleats. From the Nepalese royal crown to the necklace and the waistband, the fines of this copper Maitreya statue’s ornamentation are enhanced by the use of tiny gemstones in turquoise and red. The golden coating on the Bodhisattva’s heavenly countenance has brought to it a distinctive spiritual aura, which is increased by his beautiful half-opened eyes, perfect nose, and urn between his shapely eyebrows. From under his five-jeweled crown, his tresses are visible, some of which fall over his shoulder. Two flowers held by him contain the dharma wheel (right) and a vase (left). With his primary hands, Bodhisattva Maitreya in this copper statue makes the “Dharmachakkra mudra” or the gesture of turning the Wheel of Law.

Behind his crowned head, a fiery halo connected to the throne frames his visage. The throne of Maitreya is an exceedingly embellished one- flying dragons on the top right and left corners, surrounded by flowing floral vines that enwrap the entirety of the seat. Seated on the splendid throne with four bejeweled sturdy legs that appear like the muscled feet of lions, Bodhisattva Maitreya fills the devotee with the hope of his earthly arrival, as the benevolent protector.

How are Nepalese copper statues made?

Nepalese statues and sculptures are best known for their unique small religious figures and ritual paraphernalia for over two thousand years. These are mainly cast in copper alloy. Nepal draws influences from the artistic styles of Buddhism and Hinduism, and therefore the sculptors of the country specialize in making the icons of both these religions. Over the years, Nepalese sculptures evolved into their own distinctive iconography. Some characteristic features of these sculptures that differ from other pieces are exaggerated physical postures, youthful and sensual features, languid eyes, wider faces having serene expressions, and ornate flourishes. The Buddhist deity icons of Nepal have tremendous demand in countries such as China and Tibet for ritual purposes in their temples and monasteries.

Nepalese statues and sculptures have a high copper content and therefore develop a slightly reddish patina on the surface as they age. However, the most unique feature of Nepalese copper statues is their decorative detailing. The pieces are heavily gilded and sometimes inlaid with semi-precious stones. This embellishment protects them from getting tarnished. The traditional lost-wax method for casting Nepalese copper statues remains the most practiced technique in Nepal for many centuries. This process involves many steps and requires skilled artists.

The first step in lost-wax sculpting is to make a wax replica of the desired Buddhist deity to be cast in copper. This replica is created by hand and therefore needs excellent artistic skills otherwise fine features will be lacking.

Once the wax replica is made, it is then coated with a special mixture of clay with a brush. This layer of clay is hardened when left to dry. A small hole is made on the base of the wax mould so that the wax flows away when it is heated.

At this stage, a hollow mould in the shape of the deity is obtained.

This is the time to pour liquid copper into the hollow mould which is then allowed to cool and harden inside a container of cold water. When the liquid metal has hardened, the mould is removed and the statue within is revealed.

The artist works on the details of the statue using various tools. It is then polished to get a shiny and lustrous surface.

Now comes the most important part of Nepalese art which is gold gilding. This is done by the traditional fire gilding method. A mixture of mercury and 18K gold is applied on the surface of the statue and heat is applied using a flame torch. The result is that mercury evaporates along with impurities, leaving a pure 24K gold finish.

The lost-wax method of sculpting is the most preferred technique

for artists to cast a metallic statue having intricate details. Since Nepalese copper sculptures require extraneous effort for giving a majestic look by adding special embellishments, it takes several weeks to complete one masterpiece. A 24K gold gilded copper sculpture retains its brilliant luster for many years and appears as like before. Nepalese sculptures continue to remain one of the finest specimens of the art of the East that have a strong aesthetic appeal that other sculptures cannot match.