This 19″ (48cm) Maitreya Buddha statue is the finest and most technically complex piece in the Golden Buddha Maitreya collection — a full masterpiece commission produced by a senior Shakya caste artisan in Patan, Nepal using the traditional lost wax method. Every element of the sculpture is hand-crafted and fire-gilded in 24K gold: the figure itself, the elaborately carved double lotus throne, the large circular halo with flame and scrollwork detailing, and the two ornate lotus stems rising from the base on either side of the figure, each bearing fully carved blossoms. Turquoise and red coral stones are embedded throughout the crown, jewelry, throne and lotus stems — not applied as surface decoration but set into the metal as part of the casting and finishing process. At 10.25kg and 48cm, this is a monastery-grade altar centerpiece.
The embedded stones carry their own iconographic significance. Red coral pays tribute to Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of the western pure land whose color is red — and Tibetan Buddhists believe that meditation on red transmutes the poison of attachment into the wisdom of discernment. Turquoise combines the qualities of blue and green: blue is the color of the Buddhas in their dharmakaya nature, and green reflects their readiness to act for the benefit of all beings.
Maitreya Buddha Statue Features
Maitreya wears the crown and jeweled ornaments of a Bodhisattva, reflecting his present status as the Buddha-in-waiting who has not yet taken his final birth in the human realm. He displays the Dharmachakra mudra (turning the Wheel of Dharma) — the teaching gesture he will enact when he descends to reteach the complete Dharma path to all sentient beings. 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 of the lotus over his right shoulder, and a kundika (ritual water pot) rests in the blossom over his left — his two principal iconographic attributes in the Newar sculptural tradition of Patan, symbolizing the Dharma teachings and the nectar of liberation he will pour forth upon the world.
The lotus flower 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 Nirvana. On this statue, the lotus stems are carved in full from base to blossom, with every petal and detail rendered by hand.
The Maitreya Prophecy
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 preparation, awaiting the appointed time to descend to the earthly realm. The Maitreya prophecy holds that he will first appear in the city of Ketumati within the Chakravarti Kingdom, at a time when human beings have a lifespan of 80,000 years and the Dharma teachings of Shakyamuni have been entirely forgotten. Like Shakyamuni before him, Maitreya will attain enlightenment independently and reteach the complete path to liberation to all sentient beings. The Maitreya prophecy encourages all beings to overcome every obstacle to their spiritual realization in preparation for his coming. 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.
