Tag Archives: hand made

Masterpiece Shakyamuni Buddha with Arhats, Garuda & Naga Kanyas

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This is an absolutely beautiful rendition of Shakayamuni Buddha encompassed by an exquisitely carved torana (archway). The amount of detail for such a small piece is just absolutely staggering!  A true work of art!”
Brenda, Dharma Sculpture

Siddhartha Gautama was the son of Shakya King Buddhadana and Green Mahadevi. He was also called Buddha Shakyamuni or The Lion of the Shakya Clan. In the very center of this statue Buddha Shakyamuni is seen meditating in the “earth touching gesture” on an elaborate detailed carved lotus throne with a vajra carving. Below the vajra carving is a Naga (serpent). Nagas are the underworld guardians of treasures and concealed teachings. Shakyamuni is flanked by two of his chief disciples (arhats) namely Sariputra to his right and Maudgalyayana (also known as Moggallana) to his left representing the past and future Buddha.  His face is serene and a peaceful aura surrounds him. His left hand is on his lap holding an alms bowl.

Lord Buddha is seated in front of a torana or archway. Toranas are extremely common in Nepali Newari art.  As the ‘six-ornament’ enlightenment throne of the Buddha, its upper arch is decorated with mythological creatures, Garuda at its top and a pair of symmetrical Naga Kanyas and Makaras below. On its sides are a pair of young gods or devas, two hybrid antelopes or sharabha, two lions and two elephants.

As mentioned above, directly above Lord Buddha is an image of Garuda, the devourer of snakes. Garuda has a human upper body, large eyes, a beak, horns and hair that stands on end as well as bird’s claws and wings. Garuda is regarded as the deity that can cure snakebites, epilepsy and disease caused by Nagas. Garuda symbolizes the space element  and the power of the sun, which can dry up the waters. Therefore Garuda is the natural enemy of snakes , which he devours or controls. It is said that Garuda can detect a snake at a distance, swooping down from the sky to seize and devour it. In a similar manner, Garuda, just like the mind’s spiritual energy, can detect the arising of a snake-like delusion and can eliminate it instantly without any obstruction.

To Garuda’s right and left are Naga Kanyas, (Snake  Women). These engaging figures have a human torso and the body of a snake. The Nagas are serpents who in south and southeast Asian mythology are considered to be rain givers and guardians of the water and the riches of the deep. Naga Kanyas are the daughters of the Nagas. They are the goddesses of the three realms and pour their blessings of water on the worlds of the spirits, animals and humans. Though originally Hindu gods the figures of the Naga Kanyas were appropriated by Vajrayana Buddhism, images of Naga Kanyas appear in Tibetan, Nepalese and other tantric Buddhist art.

Below each of the Naga Kanya’s are Makaras, according to Buddhist tradition, these hybrids originated during the time immediately after the Buddha’s awakening when all hatred vanished from the world. During that time, animals that had been foe and prey mated with each other and produced such offspring as Makaras. Makaras have the lower jaw of a crocodile, the snout or trunk of an elephant, the tusks and ears of a wild boar, the darting eyes of a monkey, the scales and flexible body of a fish, and the swirling tail feathers of a peacock. They are the guardians of the toranas (gateways) and are a symbol of tenacious strength!

This sculpture is a one of a kind statue, handcrafted by the very talented artists of the beautiful Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal!
http://www.dharmasculpture.com/category/new-arrivals.html

Protection Gesture Standing Buddha

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Lord Buddha’s hand is held up in abhaya mudra also known as the gesture of protection. The ushnisha, protuberance above his head also referred to as a topknot, symbolizes His wisdom and openness as an enlightened being. The Buddha is always depicted with elongated earlobes, a vestige of his life as a prince, when he wore extravagant jewelry.

This wood sculpture is a one of a kind statue, hand carved by the very talented artists of the beautiful country Cambodia.
http://www.dharmasculpture.com/category/new-arrivals.html

 

Hand Painted Copper Shakyamuni Buddha Statue

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This is lovely rendition of Shakyamuni Buddha! Lord Buddha has a serene expression and a hypnotizing gaze in his eyes.

The Buddha Shakyamuni, at the moment of enlightenment, invoked the earth as witness, as indicated by the fingers of his right hand, which spread downward in bhumisparsha mudra, “the earth touching gesture”. As the Buddhist sutras narrate, the sun and moon stood still, and all the creatures of the world came to offer respect to the Supreme One who had broken through the boundaries of egocentric existence. All Buddhist art celebrates this moment and leads the viewer toward the Buddha’s experience of selfless and unsurpassed enlightenment.

Buddhist art pictures the Buddha in numerous manifestations, but always as a model of human potential, never as a historically identifiable person. All forms of the Buddha, however, are commonly shown seated on a lotus throne (as seen here), a symbol of the mind’s transcendent nature.

“Be a light unto yourself,” Buddha Shakyamuni declared at the end of his life. Become a Buddha, an awakened being, he urged, but never a blind follower of tradition.

This Buddha statue has the distinguishing marks that designate his celestial status, such as the cranial bump (ushnisha) and the conspicuous mark in the middle of his forehead (urna). He wears a distinctive robe elaborately decorated with elegant flowing floral motifs. In the back of the base is the wheel and deer emblem. The Buddhist emblem of a golden eight-spoked wheel flanked by two deer represents the Buddha’s first discourse, which he gave in the Deer Park at Sarnath, near Varanasi. This discourse is known as the ‘first turning of the wheel of dharma’, when the Buddha taught the doctrines of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Noble Path to five Indian mendicants.

As a symbol of the Buddha’s teachings a gilded three-dimensional wheel and deer emblem is traditionally placed at the front of monastery and temple roofs, from here it shines as a crowning symbol of the Buddhadharma. This emblem similarly appears over the four gateways of the divine mandala palace.

There are 2 separate pieces to this statue: the Buddha and its double lotus base. This copper statue is fully gold plated with 24k gold and then hand painted. The face of the Buddha is painted with a 24k gold mixture. The gold is crushed into a powder and then made into a paste. The gold paste is mixed with an organic paint mixture then used to paint the most important part of any Buddha statue; the face.

Cambodian Soapstone Buddha

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Soapstone also known as “steatite” or “soaprock” is a stone which is notable for its high degree of resistance to heat. In Cambodia, soapstone, which mostly comes from the province of Pursat (in the western part of the country) has been used to carve religious effigies since the 17th century. Any variation in the color of the stone is inherent to the very nature of the material, its array varies from yellow-green to gray and deep purple.

This Buddha has a distinct Cambodian style. Lord Buddha is in the the ‘earth touching’ gesture or ‘earth witness’ also known as bhumisparsha mudra. He is seated on a separately carved single lotus base. Lord Buddha is depicted with heavy eyelids that evoke a mood of introspection and detachment, enhanced by the hint of a smile on the full lips. The distended earlobes, a legacy of Prince Siddhartha’s discarding his heavy gold jewelry further indicates the Buddha’s enlightened status. A simple yet elegant carving. It is unpolished and thus has a matte finish.

This sculpture is a one of a kind statue, hand carved by the very talented artists of Cambodia. Every piece is truly unique!

CLICK HERE TO SEE NEW ARRIVALS IN DHARMA SCULPTURE’S GALLERY

Buddha’s Disciple, Praying Orant of Angkor Wat Statue

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This piece is inspired by the Adorned Orant of Angkor Wat, a XVth century piece found in the National Museum of Phnom Penh. Orants are compassionate beings, disciples of the Buddha. They are also symbols of good luck and are often placed in the entrance of homes welcoming guests. This Orant is kneeling, expressing humility. His hands are in anjali mudra, the universal greeting and gesture of respect throughout the Buddhist world. This mudra is formed by placing the palms together at the level of the heart, with the fingertips pointed upward.

CLICK HERE TO SEE NEW ARRIVALS IN DHARMA SCULPTURE’S GALLERY

CLICK HERE TO SEE NEW ARRIVALS IN DHARMA SCULPTURE’S GALLERY

Standing Khmer Bronze Buddha Statue

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Standing Khmer Bronze Buddha Statue

Lord Buddha is depicted standing holding an alms bowl.

Soon after Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment the four great Great Guardian Kings of the four directions each presented him with an alms-bowl, the most beautiful of which was made of precious gems and the simplest from common clay.  Shakyamuni was said to have either chosen the simple clay bowl or to have accepted all four bowls and miraculously convert them into one plain bowl that was sufficient for the needs of a humble mendicant.

The traditional alms bowl of a Buddhist monk or bhikshu is shaped like the inverted head protuberance (Skt. ushnisha) of the Buddha, a symbol of the highest attainment of Buddhahood, as the wisdom that directly realizes emptiness.

Parinirvana Buddha Statue

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hand carved parinirvana buddha statue

This Buddha sculpture is shown in Parinirvana. In Buddhism, Parinirvana is the final nirvana, usually within reach only upon the death of the body of someone who has attained complete awakening or bodhi. It is the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice and implies a release from the cycle of deaths and rebirths as well as the dissolution of all worldly physical and mental aggregates or skandhas (perception or consciousness). Lord Buddha is shown resting peacefully. His eyes and face have a serene demeanor showing Siddhartha at ease with passing from this world escaping from the cycle of samsara.

Abhaya Mudra Standing Buddha, Balinese Wood Statue

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large standing balinese buddha

This beautifully serene Balinese wood Buddha stands on an intricately carved three-tiered lotus base. Lord Buddha’s right hand is raised in the abhaya mudra also known as the gesture of protection. In his left hand he holds a small vessel which in both Buddhism and Hinduism alike is said to contain amrita, the divine nectar of the gods which was also believed to have healing properties.

This Buddha is carved from the trunk of a rain-tree. The natural gradation of the wood from dark to light color throughout this piece is stunning! Only master artisans are experienced enough to carve full tree carvings. The artist must have a very keen eye in order to see the contour and shape of the tree and bring life to it. The back of this sculpture is also fully carved. This sculpture was entirely hand carved in the living postcard island of Bali.

Kneeling Buddha Burmese Wood Statue with Glass Mosaic, 13″

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Kneeling Burmese Wood Buddha Statue with Glass Mosaic

Lord Buddha’s face exudes an intense sweetness and serenity. A slight, enigmatic smile plays across his lips. Long, pendulous earlobes reach down to touch his shoulders. This beautiful kneeling Buddha is inlaid with red, green and silver glass mosaic. This teak wood sculpture is a one of a kind statue, hand carved by the very talented artists of Myanmar (Burma).

Hevajra and Nairatmya Dancing Statue

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Hevajra and nairatyma dancing statue

In this beautiful sculpture the eight-faced, sixteen-armed, four-footed Hevajra is depicted lithely dancing clasping his consort Nairatmya (“selfless one”) in a close embrace.

One pair of legs assumes a powerful stance, the left knee bent (alidha), the other pair assumes a dancer’s pose (ardha pariyanka). Crushed underneath are four corpses representing the four Maras or demons who embody all the active hindering forces within the psyche and in the objective world, that work to deflect us from the spiritual goal. In his eight right hands he holds eight skull cups each containing an animal: an elephant, a horse, a donkey, an ox, a camel, a man, a tiger and a cat. In his eight left hands he also holds eight skull cups with the eight deities of the cardinal directions.

Nairatmya, the consort of Hevajra has two hands and two legs. In her left hand she holds a skull cup while the right hand holds a vajra. Her left leg is bent down along with his, while her right leg is wrapped around his waist. Her expression is also wrathful. They both wear elaborate belts with beaded festoons, garlands of severed heads and skull tiaras.

Carrying skull cups in all of the hands is one of the most distinctive features of Hevajra. The skull cup represents the mind aspect of the body, speech, and mind notion. It also represents death and impermanence, the illusory nature of all the phenomena. The animals and gods in Hevajra’s skull cup may symbolize a universal range of all matter and beings, alive, on earth and in the heavens. Thus, the sixteen skull cups collectively symbolize the sixteen voidness or Shunyata.

Hevajra is a wrathful emanation of the Buddha Akshobhya. He is a popular deity in Tibet, where he belongs to the yidam (tutelary, or guardian, deity) class. His worship is the subject of the Hevajra Tantra, a scripture that helped bring about the conversion of the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan (1215–94). He is one of the more common yet complex deities depicted in Buddhist art!