Tashilhunpo Monastery Maitreya Hall: Maitreya Buddha

CHINA, Tibet, Shigatse

Located in the Maitreya Hall of Tashilhunpo Monastery, the sculpture is 22.4 m high and rests upon a 3.8 m throne. It is of early 20th century origin and took more than 110 Tibetan and Nepalese artisans four years to complete. It is the largest indoor copper alloy sculpture of a seated Buddha. The statue was molded on a wooden frame and contains 279 kg of gold and 150,000 kg of copper and brass.
The Buddha is seated in the half lotus position. His right hand is held in vitarka (teaching) mudra, with a long tassel descending from between the forefinger and thumb. The raised palm is marked with a Dharma wheel. The square face of the splendidly crowned future Buddha looks down compassionately with gentle eyes. The forehead is broad and the earlobes are long. The white urna between his eyebrows is inlaid with more than three hundred gems and the body of the statue is adorned with precious ornaments inlaid with pearls, amber, and turquoise. The sculpture is draped with a brightly colored silk kasaya, believed to be the largest in the world.