Global Art & Artifacts

buddhism

Shakyamuni Buddha.  Bronze.  Statue.  Sculpture. Buddhism.  Dhyana Mudra. Kumbum Monastery. Tibet

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      This is a traditional representation of the Shakyamuni Buddha who lived and taught in India in the 6th Century B.C.E., a time of flourishing religious and philosophical thought from Greece to China.   The physical characteristics of him seated in the lotus position of meditation, legs crossed,… Continue reading

Rare Master Quality Handcrafted Tantric Oracle Cap.  Crown. Tibet.

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    Tibetan Oracles?  Well, before Buddhism, there were Bons.  Bons were a particular type of priest who performed rituals to gain the favor of local spirits and ensure the well-being and safety of the dead in the afterlife.  Much, much later and under the influence of… Continue reading

Old Hand Carved Shakyamuni Buddha Head.  Statue.  China.

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    Shakyamuni aka Gautama Buddha was the founder of Buddhism.  Shakya was the tribe/clan to which his family belonged.  . He was the son of Shuddhodana, the king of the Shākyas, a small tribe whose kingdom was located in the foothills of the Himalayas, south of… Continue reading

Ceremonial Phurba.  Mahakala. Hand carved in Boxwood.  Hand polished.  Kathmandu Valley.  Nepal

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    The phurba – aka kila – was and is used as a ritual implement to signify stability on sacred grounds/earth  during ceremonies.   As a tool of exorcism, the kila can hold demons in place . . . binding and pinning down negative energies from the mind… Continue reading

Cambodian Khmer Art Sandstone Sculpture.  17/18th Century.  Gautama Buddha.  Naga. Macalinda. Enlightenment.  Cambodia

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  In the Angkorian style, this excellent sculpture depicts a naga (serpent) as the protector of Buddha.  The Buddha, seated in the Virasana pose, is meditating on three graduated coils of the serpent king, Mucalinda.  This ancient Virasana pose should not be confused with the Hero pose currently… Continue reading

Hand Crafted Carving Monkey King.  Sun Wukong. Xuan Zang.  Boxwood.  Shandong, China

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  The Monkey King – aka Sun Wukong – is a legendary warrior best known as the esotericstuff.com character in the 16th Century novel, “Journey to the West”.  But this warrior’s reputation predates this novel where stories and adaptations can be traced all the way back to the Song… Continue reading

Phenomenal Bronze Garuda Mask.  Hinduism.  Buddhism. Deity. Tibet. Nepal.

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    The mythical deity – Garuda – has a ton of spiritual significance in Hinduism and Buddhism.  In Hinduism, Garuda is most often found mounted on the back of Vishnu, as the god’s protector.   Here the Garuda – with a snake in its beak – symbolizes the… Continue reading

Bronze Winged Garuda.  Winged Bird.  Buddhism.  Anthropomorphic.  Statue.  Figure.  Tibet

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    Garuda is a mythological bird of the dharma protector and Astasena in Buddhism.  King of birds with an anthropomorphic form.  Protector with power to go anywhere at anytime.  Sometimes depicted with a snake or demon in their mouths.   Redpoll is commonly associated with this… Continue reading

Bronze Gilt Statue. Figure.  Lama Tsongkhapa.  Scholar and Saint.  Tibet

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    The history of Buddhism in Tibet has been turbulent, going through periods of revival and decline. Lama Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) was born in the Tsongkha Valley of Amdo province, northeast Tibet.  He was a Buddhist scholar and saint who lived in Tibet during a time when Buddhist teachings… Continue reading

Large 19th Century Lacquerware Alms Box.  Buddhist.  3-Piece.  Designs. Elephants.  Mandalay. Northern Myanmar.  Burma.

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    From Mandalay – the city and royal capital of northern Burma.   Elephants, elephants, elephants . . .  all around and on the bottom.  Elephants are most revered among most animals by Buddhists throughout Southeast Asia . . .and they appear all over this box along… Continue reading
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