Antique Chinese Buddha in Gilded Metal. Xuande Mark on the Back

Antique Chinese Buddha in Gilded Metal. Xuande Mark on the Back

The Buddha is of Chinese origin and retains traces of its original polychrome and gilded decoration. It is a beautiful sculpture crafted with great care and featuring a profusion of decorative details. The figure depicts Buddha seated on an elephant that is lying down on the ground. Both the Buddha and the animal look straight ahead with a calm and gentle expression. The Buddha raises his right hand in a gesture of blessing, while with his left hand he holds the stems or leaves of a large flower adorning his lapel. The religious sage sits astride the elephant's back and maintains an upright posture that is at once relaxed and stable. The sculptural ensemble conveys an appealing sense of balance and harmony, created both by the even distribution of the forms and by the skill of the artist who carved the metal.

If we look closely at the elephant's face, we see that it has six tusks: three on each side of the trunk. This detail is related to the origin of Buddha according to religious and mythological tradition, which recounts the birth of this figure. According to legend, Maya, Buddha's mother, was impregnated by a small, beautiful elephant with six tusks. The animal pierced the woman's belly without harming her, and thus she conceived her son, who months later appeared before his mother atop a lotus flower. This beautiful legend is thus reflected in this figure through the depiction of the small elephant lying on the ground.

The metal from which the figure is made displays a surface largely covered by the remnants of an ancient gilded finish. We can make out the English red base and traces of the metallic hue. The gradual wear over the years lends a very unique charm to this antique sculpture, which also displays an interesting feature: on the back, at the Buddha's waist, we can see a mark engraved into the metal. This is the mark of Xuande (1426-1435), the fifth Chinese emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who was noted for the stability of his reign and his broad cultural knowledge, particularly in literature and poetry.

This magnificent Buddha figure is a piece destined to be part of an excellent collection of ancient Chinese art. Decorative and elegant, it can also make a very special gift.

Dimensions: Width: 220 mm. Height: 260 mm.