Maitreya Buddha Statue on a Throne – Buddhist Sculpture with Filigree

Maitreya Buddha on a throne, with torana. The statue is worked in filigree, gilded and silver-plated, set with colored stones. Maitreya is revered as the future Buddha, who will appear in a coming age to renew the teaching of the Dharma.

He is seated in bhadrasana on a throne and wears the crown and full ornaments of a bodhisattva. His feet rest on a small lotus base in bhadrasana. The hands are raised before the chest in dharmachakra mudra, the gesture of setting the Wheel of the Teaching in motion. Two lotus blossoms appear beside the shoulders, their stems held by the hands. 

Behind the figure rises a torana, a curved structure with mythical beings, floral forms, and carefully worked ornamental details, set into the throne. Above the figure hovers a small, decorated parasol; a drop-shaped crystal is set at its apex. These elements form a framing traditionally used in representations of high-ranking bodhisattvas.

His robe, throne, and parasol are worked in filigree. Thin wire is formed into spirals, filled with small arched elements and combined into an ornamental pattern. Set colored stones accentuate the filigree. The torana is cast, chiselled, and with painted details.

Maitreya follows iconographic conventions of Vajrayana art in the Kathmandu Valley, in which posture, gesture, and ornament are brought together in a balanced composition.

Maitreya Buddha 

Copper statue, traditional lost-wax cast, decorated with filigree, gold- and silver-plated, set with colored stones. The face is set in gold. The work is patinated. Handcrafted in Nepal.

• Height: 16" / 40 cm
• Width: 8" / 20 cm
• Depth: 5" / 13 cm
• Weight: 3,790 g

NOTE
The face painting is a cold gold application and water-soluble.