Buddha Invoking Mother-Earth to be His Witness

$470
Item Code: ZN63
Specifications:
Copper Sculpture
Dimensions 1.6 ft x 1.0 ft x 0.7 ft
Weight: 15 kg
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
Shipped to 153 countries
Shipped to 153 countries
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
More than 1M+ customers worldwide
This great master-piece cast in copper represents Buddha in 'Bhumisparsha-mudra', the moment when he touched mother Earth and invoked her to be the witness to the fact that he was able to outdo Evil. Conceived and cast in characteristic Tibetan style this statue of Buddha is a unique piece of art endowed with merit beyond description. The image is so powerful and vibrant that it captivates unnoticed the viewer's mind and transcends him into the realm of sublime spirituality. A feeling of meditative calm, sensitivity, luminosity and the determination of an enlightened mind reflect so powerfully on the face of the image. Besides, the great Tibetan iconography has attributed to the image unique lustre, finish and embellishment. Shirivasta, the Tibetan-patta or sash, and his other costume are not only richly embroidered in characteristic floral designs and designing patterns of Tibet but are also carved with auspicious symbols and astrological diagrams and graphics considered so sacred in Buddhist tradition and befit a spiritual icon.

In Buddhist tradition Buddha's 'Bhumisparsha-mudra' has exceptional significance and represents one of the classical modes of Buddhist iconography. The moment, which this image depicts, is a moment of life when beyond it is all light and behind it all dark. In the life of Buddha, too, this posture constitutes the exact central point between the darkness and light, between the ignorance and absolute knowledge. He was midway to his attainment of Enlightenment. Engaged in his long rigorous penance when Buddha was on the verge of attaining Enlightenment, Mara, the Evil personified, became active and attacked him. Armed with horror, fear, temptation, 'Kama' and beauty Mara invaded Buddha's mind. He tried on him all his weapons one after the other but nothing worked on him. Ultimately, there floated into sky a voice from horizon to horizon, which said, "Gautama, you are vanished". This was Mara's last weapon, the 'Confusion', with which he aimed at confounding Buddha. Buddha calmly lowered his right arm and touching the Mother Earth with his middle finger called the universal mother to witness that he did not astray from his path. Not much after Buddha had defeated Mara there emerged divine light and Buddha was Enlightened.

The pot in the left hand of the image is an extra-ordinary feature for Buddhist iconography. In Tibetan art the simple pot has been called 'bhumba' and the accomplished one, adorned with sash, coconut, flowers etc., the 'kalasha' type, is called 'phumpa'. 'Bhumba' is essentially a ritual artefact while 'phumpa' stands for abundance. It is considered to contain elixir of immortality and spiritual wealth. The pot which the image of Buddha carries in its hand is the 'bhumba' type. Hence, its ritual aspect has hardly any significance at the stage when Buddha was yet far off from attaining Enlightenment. It seems the artist has blended with Buddhist iconography the Hindu symbolism of pot. In Hindu tradition the pot stands for earth. Thus the artist has re-doubled Buddha's appeal to Mother earth. By the finger of his right hand he touched her and in the left he held her symbolically. Further, as the convention has it, a determination made or a pledge taken while the pot with water held in hand gains spiritual sanctity and greater force.

The aesthetic charm of the icon is as much unique. The small cute lips, angularity of face, sharpness of features and shaded eyes are the qualities which have always remained the distinctive features of great Indian bronzes of Gupta, Pala and Chola periods. An exceptional kind of luminosity, spirituality and tenderness combined with as strong sensuousness marks the physiognomy of the image. The image has been installed on 'pitha' consisting of multiple lotuses. Hair in tight curls, surmounted by an inverted pot type finial and broad forehead are features common to various styles of Buddhist iconography. In drapery, however, - the rich 'Shirivasta', with sacred diagram, over the left shoulder and 'dhoti' covering the left half of his person and trailing on the seat around him, the image of the Buddha is strictly Tibetan and essentially votive in its rendering.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.


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Of Related Interest:

Buddha Invoking Mother-Earth to be His Witness (Bronze Sculpture)

Buddha in the Earth-Touching Gesture (bhumi-sparsha mudra) (Copper Sculpture gilded with 24 Karat Gold)

Bhumisparsha Buddha (Kaima Wood Sculpture)

Shakyamuni Buddha in the Earth-Witness Gesture (Bhumisparsha) (Sterling Silver Finger Ring)

Spiritual Victory (Brass Statue)

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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