This 13.5″ Maitreya Buddha statue is finished in a three-metal combination — an oxidized copper alloy body with selective gold plating on the crown, jewelry, ornamental details and lotus attributes, and silver plating across the robes, throne seat and prabhavali frame elements. The result is the distinctive warm-dark-and-bright contrast visible in the photographs: the dark copper body sets off the gold and silver highlights and draws the eye to the iconographically significant details of the figure. This three-metal finish is a traditional Newar technique used for prestige altar pieces and is more labor-intensive than single-metal gilding. The statue is cast using the traditional lost wax method by Shakya caste artisans in Patan, Nepal, and includes a detachable prabhavali throne frame (13.5″ with frame, 10″ without). Upon request, turquoise and red coral stones can be embedded into the statue before shipping at no additional charge.
Maitreya (Sanskrit: Maitreya; Tibetan: Jampa) is the future Buddha — the fifth and final Buddha of the current world age in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist cosmology. He currently abides in Tusita Heaven in a constant state of readiness, awaiting the appointed time to descend to the earthly realm. When he comes, the Dharma teachings of Shakyamuni will have been entirely forgotten — and Maitreya, like Shakyamuni before him, will attain enlightenment independently and reteach the complete path to all sentient beings. He is the only Buddha or Bodhisattva in the Tibetan iconographic canon depicted seated upright in a chair with both feet on the ground — a posture of readiness unique to his status as the Buddha-in-waiting.
Maitreya Buddha Statue Features
Maitreya wears the crown and jeweled ornaments of a Bodhisattva rather than the simple robes of a fully realized Buddha, reflecting his present status as a great being who has not yet taken his final birth. He displays the Dharmachakra mudra (turning the Wheel of Dharma) — the gesture of teaching — because it will be his responsibility to set the Wheel of Dharma in motion once again for a new age. Between the thumb and index finger of each hand he holds the stem of a lotus flower — a Dharma Wheel (dharmachakra) rests in the blossom over his right shoulder and a kundika (ritual water pot) rests in the blossom over his left, two of Maitreya’s principal iconographic attributes in the Newar sculptural tradition of Patan.
The lotus is the universal Buddhist symbol of enlightenment — the seed that grows from the muddy pond floor through murky water to blossom in clean air and sunlight, mirroring the path of all sentient beings through the difficulties of samsara toward the clarity of Nirvana. Maitreya’s presence in this form encourages all practitioners to overcome every obstacle to their spiritual realization in preparation for the coming of the future Buddha. Learn more about the Maitreya prophecy and its significance in Buddhist tradition, or explore the full Maitreya Buddha statue collection.
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.
