The Buddha Vairochana

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

$130

Quantity

Notify me when this item is available

Item Code:	ZN87
Specifications:	Copper Sculpture gilded with 24 Karat Gold
Height:	5 inch
Width:	3.4 inch
Depth:	2.5 inch
Weight:	1 kg

Handmade

Free delivery

Fully insured

Shipped to 153 countries

More than 1M+ customers worldwide

This sculpture depicts the Buddha Vairochana. Iconographically the image is very much identical with the Buddha Sakyamuni. However, the identification of the present object is based on the intentions, whether related to Mahayana interests or not, i.e., whether the image is set up by Mahayanists or Theravadins. It is well known that the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism was very much popular in Tibet, Nepal, Kashmir, China and Central Asia etc. So on the basis of this the present image is identified as the Buddha Vairochana. Moreover, a late Mahayana-sutra mentions Sakyamuni Buddha in preaching form as Vairochana Buddha.

The Buddha is shown seated in Vajrasana on a lotus seat. Both his hands make the gesture of Dharmachakra-pravartana. He is wearing a sanghati, covering both the shoulders. The border of the drapery has an intricate chased floral design. His hair, painted in blue color, is arranged in small tight curls with a prominent ushnisha and a "jewel" on the top. His beautiful face has upturned lips painted in red color, and an urna between the eyebrows. The earlobes are elongated. His neck has three folds (trivali), one of the Mahapurusalakshanas.

This description by Dr. Shailendra Kumar Verma, Ph.D. His doctorate thesis being on the "Emergence and Evolution of the Buddha Image (from its inception to 8th century A.D).

References:

A. Getty, The Gods of Northern Buddhism, Tokyo, 1962

A.K. Gordon, The Iconography of Tibetan Lamaism, New York, 1939

A. Waddell, Buddhism and Lamaism of Tibet, New Delhi, 1979

D.L. Snellgrove, The Images of the Buddha, New Delhi, 1978

Free Shipping. Delivered by

to all international destinations within 3 to 5 days, fully insured.

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.