Buddha

robinhoodsmate

Jr. Member
Dec 6, 2013
22
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Hi

Now retired I am trying to identify artifacts left to me many years ago. Here are a few pictures and any help would be great.
Bud 1.jpgBud 2.jpgBud 3.jpgBud 4.jpgBud 5.jpgBud 6.jpg
 

I'm thinking your figure is more of a Hindu Goddes. I think it's old? Say 1st part of the 20th century maybe later 19th. Do you know the metal type it was casted with?
 

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Hi tamrock. Thank you very much for your interest. I took this to a monastery and was told that they thought it may be of Thai origin, very old and that was about it. I fully support you belief that it may be of Hindu or other. I have no idea of the metal content. There are four hole in the base. Two are regular in size so I think intended for some reason and two look like they have eroded over time.
 

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I'm not sure at all as to where this came from, but now that you mention it, it does have a Thai or Siam look to it. I was hoping to find a figure of Buddha sitting with these other small deities like yours. I'm only taking a guess on the age. It does have worn polished look as if it's been handled many times over many years. Do you know if it's cast iron? A magnet would stick to that. I'm thinking it looks like a 'spelter' casting a soft casting metal widely used in the 19th century for cast figures. A magnet wouldn't stick to that.
Spelter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

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Here is a picture of a couple of Cambodian Buddas.
budda1.jpg budda.jpg
 

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This is a Siamese Budda.
saim.jpg
 

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Hindu god. I think Hindu's have more than one god, but I don't know that for sure.
hindu-god.jpg
 

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Thai Budda.
Thi Budda.JPG None of them have that neck thing that goes up the side of the head. Can't find one with that.
 

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Here's what I think is the Giant Bronze Buddha at Kamakura, Japan. Sure looks like, and if so, in 1956 I was there.
buddha.head.jpg I can't find a single Buddha with a the neck ear things yours has.
 

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Hi tamrock, Thanks for the info. It is not magnetic and I'm almost certain it is not spelter. Although it is a hollow casting it is still with some weight. I agree with you that it has been handled a lot over the years.
 

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I was thinking that your statue had a neck collar that went up by the ears, but then looking closely at the side view, I see that it is the ears themselves. Most all the Budda's seem to have large ears, but the closest I can come to the largest ears is a Tibetan Budda, although they seem to have the largest ears, I could find nothing matching your statue with the three smaller ones. Here's a couple of more pictures, these are from Tibet.
tibetan budda.jpg tibetan budda1.jpg
 

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All I can say at this time is your buddha or... ? is unique, I find no reference of a buddha that sits with other gods, goddesses or deities? I'm buddha'd out... can the real buddha please stand up? However I did come across one buddha type figrure that I would say had a very profound effect on the history of mankind.
BBC News - Ancient statue discovered by Nazis is made from meteorite
 

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Thanks tamrock, I'm pulling what little hair I have left, out! There are so many points of focus, long thin nose, four sided point on head dress with level front and inline gap at the front, plinth etc. I agree with you that it is unique but with so many clues I'm sure we'll nail it (sure as I am of catching Santa climbing up my chimney, I don't have one)!
 

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sorry for the late reply...

I believe this object is an early Art Nouveau piece...
the Buddha does show thai influence...but...the four armed hindi goddess or god{wear precludes identification from a photograph}

Buddha is a state of being, not a god or diety..so several Buddha can be presented together, though, the individuals flanking "Buddha" are probably bodisativa...Buddha who have come back to help mortals...

so, the point is I do believe this is an early piece...pre 1900...or close to...pre 1920..but I would need hands on to identify any closer...

hope this helps.
 

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sorry for the late reply...

I believe this object is an early Art Nouveau piece...
the Buddha does show thai influence...but...the four armed hindi goddess or god{wear precludes identification from a photograph}

Buddha is a state of being, not a god or diety..so several Buddha can be presented together, though, the individuals flanking "Buddha" are probably bodisativa...Buddha who have come back to help mortals...

so, the point is I do believe this is an early piece...pre 1900...or close to...pre 1920..but I would need hands on to identify any closer...

hope this helps.
I'm convinced you know what you're talking about.
 

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