Buddha seated in the Abhayamudra pose. - Bronze - China - 20th century

This small sculpture is a devotional statue in gilded bronze depicting the Buddha. The period of the Sui and Tang dynasties or later dynasties that imitated its style. The figure is depicted in a frontal position, seated. The right hand is raised in the Abhaya mudra (moving forward without fear, symbol of protection and peace), while the drapery of the robe (kasaya) flows down fluidly covering the legs, a stylistic feature typical of early Chinese gilded bronze sculptures. The statue presents a hollow structure on the back and at the base, originally conceived to be mounted on a separate pedestal (often lotus-shaped). It is a fusion alloy of bronze that retains broad traces of the original gilding. The surface shows a marked and widespread green patina of copper carbonate (malachite) due to the metal's oxidation over time. The item is sold with a stand and a small box recently manufactured.