Shakyamuni Buddha Statue | 9″ | Gold Gilded | Handmade Nepal

This 9″ Shakyamuni Buddha statue is fully fire gilded in 24K gold, with turquoise and red coral stones embedded along the hemlines of the robe — a decorative embellishment that adds natural color and depth to the golden surface and reflects the Himalayan Buddhist tradition of incorporating semi-precious stones into sacred statuary as offerings of beauty and devotion. The statue was handcrafted in Patan, Nepal by master artisans of the Shakya caste using the traditional lost wax sculpting method, with 360° hand-carved engravings throughout the robes — including a lotus flower on the lower back of the Buddha, a detail that rewards close attention and reflects the care with which the artisan treated every surface of the figure rather than only its visible front. The face is hand-painted in real gold.

The lotus carved on the lower back carries its own iconographic significance: the lotus is the signature symbol of enlightenment in Buddhist art — a flower that rises from the mud of the pond to bloom in pure air above the surface, representing the path from the suffering of samsara to the purity of liberation. Its placement on the back of the statue, where only a devoted viewer would discover it, is characteristic of the Newar artisan’s commitment to iconographic completeness regardless of what the buyer will immediately see.

Gold Gilded Shakyamuni Statue Features

The statue bears the traditional physical markings of the historical Buddha as recorded in the Pali Canon: the ushnisha (crown protuberance), clockwise-curling hair coils, three neck folds, and the urna (third eye of wisdom between the brows). Shakyamuni sits in full lotus posture with the right hand displaying the Bhumisparsha mudra — the earth-touching gesture, fingers extended downward toward the ground — the mudra he displayed under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya as he called the earth deity to witness his realization against the challenge of Mara. His left hand rests in the lap in the Dhyana mudra with an alms bowl in the palm, holding the three nectars that counteract the three poisons of greed, hatred, and ignorance. Learn more about the meaning behind the name Shakyamuni Buddha in our complete guide to Shakyamuni statues.