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Sakyamuni Buddha

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Item Code:	ZO93
Specifications:	Copper Lost Wax Sculpture
Height:	11 inch
Width:	8 inch
Depth:	3.6 inch
Weight:	3 kg

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This exquisitely modeled sculpture depicts the historical Buddha Sakyamuni. He is seated in Vajrasana on a lotus throne. His right hand is in the bhumisparsa-mudra. This gesture was used by Buddha to invoke the earth goddess as a witness to the fact that he had attained bodhi at Bodhgaya and of his having resisted the temptation of Mara, the personification of evil. His left hand is placed on the lap and holds a begging bowl. He is wearing a Sanghati, covering both the shoulders. The embossed leaf and flower ornamentation on his robes is very rich and continues around the back. The sash he is wearing is incised with decorative designs.

The signs of a Mahapurusha are there, including the prominent Ushanisha (protuberance at top of the head), elongated earlobes and trinali (three lines) mark on the neck. His body is slim and slender. The eyes are half-closed and are inward-looking in meditation. The facial expression is calm, expressing compassion and serenity. His hair is arranged in small tight curls.

The Sakyamuni was born in the Lumbini garden (Nepal) in 563 B.C. and was given the name Siddharth. His father king Suddhodana was the ruler of the Shakya Republic of Kapilvastu. His mother queen Mahamaya died seven days after his birth. Siddharth showed meditative bent of mind from his childhood. He was married at sixteen to Yasodhara and had a son, Rahula. At the age of 29 years he relinquished the worldly life and went to the forest, meditated as a hermit for six years to search for the truth behind the nature of suffering. Siddhartha finally attained enlightenment and became Buddha at the age of 35 in Bodhgaya. Subsequently, he spread the law of Dhamma among the suffering beings till his Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar (U. P.) in 483 B.C. at the age of eighty.

Ref.

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

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

A. Waddell, Buddhism and Lamaism of Tibet, New Delhi, 1978 (reprint).

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)."

Nepalese Copper sculptures – Their Care and maintenance

Nepalese sculptures are well-known throughout the globe for their distinctive features. The artists of Nepal specialize in making small religious figures, especially Buddhist and Hindu, and ritual objects in copper or bronze alloy. The characteristic features of sculptures of Nepal are elongated and languid eyes, exaggerated physical postures, round facial features, and sensuous youthful bodies. All these features exhibit a high level of skill and exquisite beauty that draw their influence from the artistic style of the Gupta and Pala Empires from ancient India. Nepali sculptures are especially appreciated for perfectly portraying the spiritual cultures of Buddhism and Hinduism.

Maintenance of copper statues

Since Nepali statues and sculptures are gold-gilded and are also sometimes inlaid with semi-precious or precious stones, using any chemical solutions will damage their beautification.
To retain the natural shine and luster of a copper sculpture, it is necessary to dust the piece periodically. This helps prevent the accumulation of dust on the surface that covers their actual beauty. You can usually safely dust it with a soft cloth or cotton ball with the barest amount of cool water. No amount of water should be left off after cleaning.
You can also use natural oils such as coconut oil and wipe down every inch of the sculpture with a cotton ball. After applying it, you will notice a beautiful natural shine on the sculpture. This also prevents it from getting tarnished very quickly. You should avoid using any special cleansers that aren’t meant to be used on copper statues.

The ancient artists of Nepal preferred to use copper more than any other material due to its amazing properties. It is a soft and malleable metal that makes it suitable for molding into any desired shape or form. A sculpture requires a structure with realistic intricate details and copper is an appropriate material for this purpose. Although copper sculptures do not need much care and maintenance, you should not question the need of cleaning them carefully.

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.