Shakyamuni Buddha Statue – Buddhist Figure with Filigree on Throne

Shakyamuni Buddha seated on a multi-tiered throne with filigree, turquoise, coral, and lapis lazuli. A curved aureole rises behind the figure.

Shakyamuni is the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in northern India in the 5th century BCE and founded the Buddhist teaching.

The statue shows Shakyamuni Buddha seated in lotus asana. His right hand touches the earth in bhumisparsha mudra, while the left hand is held in dhyana mudra. 

The robe, throne, and aureole are worked in filigree. Spirals formed from fine metal wires are filled with small arched elements and combined into an ornamental pattern. Turquoise, coral, and lapis lazuli are set into the filigree surfaces. At the front of the base, a curved victory banner, pataka, is attached.

The statue follows the image traditions of Vajrayana art in the Kathmandu Valley, in which ritual identity, gesture, and ornament are brought together into a balanced iconographic unity.

Shakyamuni Buddha

Statue made of copper, traditional lost-wax cast, decorated with fine filigree ornamentation, silver- and gold-plated, set with turquoise, coral, and lapis lazuli. The face is set in gold. The sculpture is patinated.

• Height: 27.5 cm
• Width: 19.5 cm
• Depth: 14 cm
• Weight: 2,086 g

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