34" Large Superfine Shakyamuni Buddha from Nepal

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“Shakyamuni” a popular epithet for the Buddha underlines his connections to the Shakya clan and his identity as a Muni- one who has taken a vow of Mauna (silence). The title perfectly describes the time of the Buddha’s life when he had left the luxurious life of the Shakya kingdom behind and after a tedious journey had reached the grooves of Bodha Gaya, where after years of quiet contemplation, the supreme truth finally unfolded in front of him. This calm firmness of the Buddha can be felt in the iconography of this Buddha Shakyamuni icon, which is the flawless balance of divine strength and serenity.

The gilded copper Buddha Shakyamuni is seated on a double lotus pedestal known as the “Vishwapadmasana”, in the lotus posture (padmasana). His face, an ocean of tranquility and stillness quite paradoxically enthralls the mind. Designed immaculately, Buddha’s meditative eyes in this Nepalese gilded copper statue serve as two heavenly channels that invite the seer to look beyond what is visible. Following the trend, coiled hair, elongated earlobes, inwardly smiling lips, and two lines on the neck to highlight flesh folds- all the characteristic features of Buddha Shakyamuni are included in this brilliant Nepalese statue. The body of the Buddha covered in a seamless gold slip is adorned by an ornate robe embellished with floral patterns. Keeping in mind the tradition of making robes from scrapes of old clothes, the sculptor of this Buddha Shakyamuni icon has added lines with circular designs all over the robe to mark the places where two pieces are stitched together. The luxuriant robe beautified by coral and turquoise stones studded to make floral patterns on the border, clings to the body of Shakyamuni, revealing a physical form that is as magnificent as the Enlightenment that it carries.  Soft folds of the robe formed under the Buddha’s legs are artistically made visible near the knees and ankles of the statue and the Sangathi (endpiece) of the robe is stylistically delineated over his left shoulder.

With his right hand, the Buddha makes the earth-touching gesture (Bhumi Sparsha Mudra) and in his left hand, he carries an alms bowl with the Ashtamangala (eight auspicious signs) designed on it, which is attached to his beautifully crafted hand with a stick, making it appear as if the bowl is hovering. Encircling his exquisite countenance is a distinctively Nepalese fiery aureole with flames revealed in the gold sheet using the repousse technique and embellished with coral and turquoise.

As mentioned earlier, such icons of Buddha Shakyamuni are a revered part of Buddhist meditation rituals which often use Mantras that are meant to be repeated throughout the practice. On the reverse of this gilded copper icon above the images of the deer flanking the Wheel of Dhamma, etched on the throne of Shakyamuni is the Buddha Mantra- “Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuni Swaha”. This mantra is a potent element in the Mahayana meditation routine and is seen as an extension of the powers of the Buddha himself. Sitting in front of the Buddha Shakyamuni statue, a follower should chant the Mantra, all the while praying to the Buddha to grant them the inspiration to follow the path to Enlightenment and fill their being with the ray of divine light that arises from the body of Tathagata. Enriched with iconographical wealth and a beguiling luster resulting from it, this Nepalese gilded copper Shakyamuni Buddha statue is undoubtedly one of the best materializations of the Enlightened One, facing whom and chanting the Buddha Mantra you can inaugurate your journey to spiritual awakening.

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.