Shakyamuni Buddha Statue | 13″ Partly Gold Gilded | Handmade Nepal

This 13″ Shakyamuni Buddha sculpture is partly fire gilded in 24K gold — the crown, facial features, throne detailing, and key ornamental elements bonded in real 24K gold using the traditional fire gilding method, against a natural oxidized copper body. The contrast between the warm copper surface and the gold highlights brings out the fine hand-carved engravings on the robe and lotus pedestal with particular clarity, making the artisan’s craftsmanship more visible than a fully gilded surface would allow. The face is hand-painted in real gold, giving the figure its characteristic lifelike expression. The statue was produced using the traditional lost wax sculpting method by a Newar master artisan in Patan, Nepal.The statue depicts Shakyamuni bearing the traditional physical markings described in the Pali Canon as characteristics of a great being: the ushnisha (crown protuberance), elongated earlobes, urna (third eye of wisdom between the brows), and the clockwise-curling hair coils that are among the 32 physical characteristics of the historical Buddha. These iconographic details have been standard features of authentic Shakyamuni sculpture throughout the Himalayan Buddhist tradition. The Newar artisans of Patan have supplied sacred sculpture to Tibetan monasteries for centuries, and the quality of the carving and gilding on this statue reflects that tradition.Shakyamuni Buddha Statue MudrasThis Shakyamuni Buddha sculpture depicts the Bhumisparsha mudra — the earth-touching gesture that is the most widely depicted mudra in Himalayan Buddhist art and the one most closely associated with the historical Buddha. The right hand drapes over the right knee, palm facing inward with the fingers extended downward and lightly touching the ground — the gesture Shakyamuni made at the moment of his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, calling the earth deity to witness his realization against the challenge of Mara. Explore the Bhumisparsha mudra’s meaning and history in our complete guide to Shakyamuni statues.His left hand rests in the lap in the Dhyana mudra — the meditation gesture, palm facing upward — with an alms bowl resting in the open palm. The alms bowl is the symbol of the Buddha’s monastic renunciation and is understood to hold the three nectars that counteract the three poisons of ignorance, greed, and hatred. The simultaneous display of the Bhumisparsha and Dhyana mudras is characteristic of Shakyamuni Buddha statues in the Tibetan and Nepali sculptural tradition. Certificate of authenticity Authentic, Handmade in Nepal Every statue and ritual item is handcrafted in Patan, Nepal, using traditional lost wax casting and comes with a certificate of authenticity issued by Nepal's Department of Archaeology, verifying its materials, technique, and origin. Learn more about our certification