Buddhist Sculptures » Types of Sculpture » Statue

Statue

The Buddha Statue is a symbol of Buddhism's ancient founder, Siddhartha Gautama, a prince from northern India. The Buddha Statue signifies the "Enlightened One," the basic idol of Buddhism.

Buddhist statues are renowned all over the world for their sheer beauty. Their popularity, along with the popularity of the religion itself, has transcended the border of the Indian subcontinent to other neighboring countries, and also in other parts of Asia and other faraway countries. Buddha statues are a favorite keepsake with not only the followers of Buddhism, but among the devotees of other religion too. A statues or figurine of Lord Buddha is considered to be prized possessions and a frequently gifted item. Gift shops display a irresistible range of Buddha statues and they sell like hot cakes. The popularity of statues of Buddha has increased to such an extent worldwide that they are exported from India to many foreign countries by hundreds.

The Buddha Statue represents a belief system that has evolved into three main philosophies:

Mahayana
Theravada
Vajrayana

The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km (143 miles) northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters (8,202 feet). Built during the sixth century, the statues represented the classic blended style of Indo-Greek art.

A Buddha statue offers an amazing array of varieties. To begin with, a Buddha statue can be carved out of any of the following materials:

Sandstone
Copper
Bronze
Soapstone
Gold
Ivory
Plastic
Ceramic
Wood
Fabric
Glass
Silver
Marble
Granite
Terra Cota
Limestone

Buddha statues are also available in many sizes, starting from an inch-tall miniature statue which can be kept on the desk to statues several feet long garden sculptures to adorn the garden.

Speaking of colors, the buyers are really spoilt for choices. A Buddha statue can be available in black, brown, gold, jade, red, multi-color and many others. Some Buddha statues are made of materials that glow in the dark. Depending on your taste, preference and choice, you can pick up a full Buddha figure, a head or a bust. A Buddha statue is also available in various poses and styles. A lot of online shops have beautiful Buddha statues in store for you. Some of them are: