Item: Shakyamuni Buddha - Shakyamuni

Shakyamuni Buddha (Tibetan: sha kya tu pa, sang gye. English: the Enlightened One, Sage of the Shakya Clan) wearing a crown.

Sanskrit: Buddha Shakyamuni Tibetan: Sang gye sha kya tu pa

Formal in appearance, he gazes forward with partially closed eyes and the blue-black hair on the head is piled in a tuft on top with a single gold ornament. Adorning the forehead is a five pointed crown with flowers above the ears and decorated with jeweled ribbons - a crowned buddha. Between the eyebrows is a dot and adorning the neck are three horizontal lines. The earlobes are long and pierced. With the right arm bare the hand is extended across the knee in the earth touching gesture. The left performs the gesture of meditation palm upward in the lap. Across the left shoulder is a robe with a thin design along the trim. A similar lower garment is tied at the waist. The legs are folded in vajra posture above a lotus throne. A vajra scepter is placed in front representing the location of Vajrasana (Bodhgaya) and the moment of enlightenment.

"...Muni Vajrasana with one face and two hands, the right in the mudra of subduing and the left in meditative equipoise, seated with the legs in vajra posture, wearing saffron religious robes and adorned with the thirty-two major and eighty minor excellent marks, having the appearance of holiness." (Konchog Lhundrub, 1497-1557).

"Born in the Shakya race through skillful means and compassion; destroying the army of Mara who was unable to be destroyed by others; with a body radiant like a mountain of gold. Homage to you, King of Shakya." (Tibetan liturgical verse).

Jeff Watt [added 9-2020]

(See Christies, September 2020).