Antique Chinese Buddha in Gilded Metal. Xuande mark on the back.

This Buddha is a Chinese piece with remains of the original golden and polychrome decoration. It is a beautiful sculpture carefully engraved with a lot of decorative details. The figure depicts Buddha sitting on a small elephant which rests lying on the ground. Both Buddha and the animal are looking ahead with nice and relaxed expressions. The figure of Buddha is raising his hand in a blessing attitude, while his left hand is holding the leaves or stems that hang from a big flower that adorns his lapel. The wise man is sitting on the elephants back in a straight but stable and relaxed pose. The sculptural piece transmits a nice feeling of harmony, generated by the balanced distribution of the volumes and the good work performed by the artist who made the figure.If we look closely at the elephants face we will find that it has six fangs, three at each side of the trunk. This detail is related to Buddhas origins as stated by the religious and mythological tradition that tells this characters birth. The legend tells that Maia, Buddhas mother, was fertilized by a small and lovely six-fanged elephant. The animal cut the womans belly without hurting her and so she conceived her son, that months after would appear in front of his mother sitting on a lotus flower. So this wonderful legend is reflected in this sculpture by means of the lying elephants figure.The metal this piece is made of shows a surface mostly covered by the remains of an ancient golden finish. We can see the dark red base and rests of the metallic color. The gradual wear produced over the years provides this antique figure with a very singular charm. The sculpture also has a highly interesting feature: it has a Chinese mark engraved at the back, just in Buddhas waist. It is Xuande mark (1426-1435), belonging to the reign of the fifth Chinese Ming Dynasty emperor who was known by his wide culture, especially in the fields of literature and poetry.This striking Buddha figure is a piece fit to become part of an excellent collection of ancient Chinese art. Decorative and elegant, it can also be a very special present.Measurements: Width: 220 mm. Height: 260 mm.