Metal statues of Buddha

Watching Metal statues of Buddha can be a very soothing experience. A Metal statue of Buddha is not only a great work of art but it can also be kept as collector's item as well. Buddha is the name received by Prince Siddharth after he achieved 'Sambodhi" or "enlightenment" under the "Bodhi" tree in the village Uruvilla. At its inception there was no idol worshipping in Buddhism but soon this religion got divided into two sects Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) and Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle). The Mahayan sect started worshipping Buddha as a God and erected his idols. This gave the sculptures to show their talent and they gave Buddha shape according to their own belief and imaginations. The Metal statues of Buddha have a human shape due to the Greek and Persian sculpture style that influenced the Gandharian Buddhist method way back in 1st and 2nd century BCE.

Though the Mahayan sect introduced the worshipping of Buddha's statues sculpture was not an alien concept in India. Sculpture in India started during the Indus Valley Civilization (3300-1700 BCE). With the development of Buddhism it graduated to bronze and stone.

Making of Metal statues of Buddha:

Making Metal statues of Buddha take time. They are generally made of bronze, copper or gold. The sculptor first makes a beeswax mould then moves it to the gold pouring area and digs a hole to make the kiln. In this kiln he then puts the beeswax mould upside down and bakes it before pouring the brass. This way the wax layer melts creating the shape of Buddha inside the mould. After removing the beeswax the empty place is filled by liquid metal. Then the sculptor melts the metal. The amount of metal required depends upon the amount of beeswax used. Usually one kilogram of beeswax needs 100 grams of brass. When the bronze cools down the sculptor breaks down the outer layers of cement and steel and brings out the metal statue.

After this the statue can be gilded in gold, polished and colored. After polishing it for some more i9t is finally painted by oil paint.