{"product_id":"sino-tibetan-gilt-bronze-shakyamuni-buddha","title":"Sino Tibetan Gilt‑bronze Shakyamuni Buddha","description":"\u003cp\u003eQing dynasty, Ca. 18th century AD.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCast and gilt copper alloy with traces of cold pigment, the Buddha is depicted seated in vajrasana upon a high double‑lotus pedestal, the legs folded in full lotus with the soles turned upward and the monastic robe (sanghati) leaving the right shoulder bare, its cascading folds rendered in crisp relief across the torso and knees in a manner characteristic of Qing‑period Sino‑Tibetan ateliers. The right hand is extended over the knee in bhumisparsha mudra, “the earth‑touching gesture,” signifying the moment of enlightenment when Shakyamuni calls the earth to witness his victory over Mara, while the left rests palm‑up in dhyana mudra in the lap, reinforcing the iconography of meditative concentration. The head is surmounted by a domed ushnisha covered with tight, regularly arranged snail‑shell curls, originally highlighted with blue pigment, and a small knop finial; the long pendulous ears, gently downcast eyes, and slight smile conform to Himalayan Buddhist conventions disseminated through the Qing court’s patronage of Tibetan Buddhism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe high, waisted double‑lotus base is meticulously chased with overlapping lotus petals, each defined by a raised beading and teardrop‑shaped interior, articulating the idealized “lotus throne” that elevates the Buddha above the mundane realm. The underside is neatly sealed with a copper‑alloy plate cast in low relief with a double vajra (vishvavajra), the crossed thunderbolt emblem signifying the immutable, indestructible nature of ultimate reality and, in the Tibetan context, often used on the bases of consecrated images associated with tantric practice. Such imagery reflects the close relationship between the Qing imperial court and Tibetan Buddhism, in which large numbers of gilt‑bronze images were commissioned both for imperial temples in Beijing and for distribution to Tibetan and Mongolian hierarchs, giving rise to a distinctive “Sino‑Tibetan” style that combines Chinese casting and gilding techniques with Tibetan iconography and ritual symbolism. Within this corpus, the present example belongs to a group of small devotional images intended for private altars or travel shrines, its compact scale, sealed and vajra‑marked base, and careful finishing suggesting it was once fully consecrated with sacred substances and used in personal practice rather than as a purely decorative object.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ewith engraved numbers 5510 7034 to bottom plaque, incised with double vajra\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSize: 6 3\/8 inches H. x 5 7\/8 wide\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProvenance:  Private American Collection. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53211625062714,"sku":"17390","price":2000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/17390bl.jpg?v=1774476994","url":"https:\/\/howardnowes.com\/products\/sino-tibetan-gilt-bronze-shakyamuni-buddha","provider":"Art for Eternity","version":"1.0","type":"link"}