This 12″ Maitreya Buddha statue is a fully fire-gilded altar piece cast in copper alloy using the traditional lost wax method by Shakya caste artisans in Patan, Nepal. The statue includes a detachable prabhavali throne frame — the ornamental backframe visible in the photographs — which brings the total crowned height to 12″. The frame can be displayed with or without the figure, and the figure itself stands 8.5″ without the frame, making this a versatile piece for altars of different scales. At this size and price point, the 12″ Maitreya is the most accessible entry in the Golden Buddha Maitreya range, sitting between the smaller decorative pieces and the large-format 23″ shrine-room Maitreya.
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.
