The Enlightened One gave his first public sermon in the Deer Park at Sarnath, near Benares, setting in motion the wheel of the Dharma (or spiritual law) as he expounded the doctrine of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. This first sermon is represented by the Dharmachakra mudra, a two-handed gesture symbolizing the setting in motion of a wheel. This mudra is also used to show the Buddha in his role as a teacher.
He is represented with extended earlobes, now empty of adornment, but which were once stretched out of shape by the weight of the costly jewelry he wore before renouncing his princely status.
In Mahayana Buddhist art, the Buddha is typically represented as a young, ideally proportioned man dressed in simple monk's robes. But he is distinguished from ordinary humans by thirty-two sacred identifying features, or Lakshana. Among the most frequently observed is the Ushnisha, a cranial bump on the head of the Buddha symbolizing wisdom. This can be observed in this artwork.
This sculpture is made of copper through the lost wax process. In this process the figure is initially sculpted in wax over a compact core. It is then carefully covered with clay and then with a heat ressistant clay. Molten metal is poured in through openings to the inside of the mold and takes the place of the wax, which melts and flows out through vent holes.
After completion of the casting process, the statue is gilded (the art of applying gold) to the faces of the deity. In this process the face is brushed with cold gold, after which the hair is painted with blue color.
The practise of painting statues, particularly faces, with gold paint is exclusively Tibetan and Nepali.
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Of Related Interest:
Mudras of the Great Buddha: Symbolic Gestures and Postures (Article)
Buddha in the Varada Mudra (Sterling Silver Box Pendant)
Gautam Buddha (Handcrafted Sterling Silver Finger-Ring)
Buddha Seated on The Six-Ornament Throne of Enlightenment (Tibetan Thangka Painting)
The Temptation Of Buddha (Batik Painting)
Buddha (Silk Painting)
Transcendent Buddha (Kalamkari Painting)
Buddha Shakyamuni (Copper Sculpture gilted with 24 Karat Gold)
Buddha, the Universal Teacher (Brass Statue)
Emaciated Buddha (Grey Stone Sculpture)
Meditating Buddha (Wood Sculpture)
Four Headed Buddha Bust (Green Stone)
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