Nepal, high in the Himalya is an interesting mix of Tibetan Buddhism and Hinduism. The religions intertwine and many temples have both Hindu and Buddhist Shrines. Nepalese Buddhas are easily recognisable by the swirl on the forehead that is the Nepalese No 1, which stands for the Buddha being all encompassing.
Buddha head statues are heavily stylised and are not just the depictions of the head of the Buddha, but the symbolic as well as spiritual representation of the Buddha's wisdom and knowledge. These statues have encoded symbols in them, which were used in a preliterate, oral culture to pass on and help remember the Buddha's teachings and knowledge.
Our Nepalese Buddha Head depicts the Buddha as having curly, short hair, in order to show that as Prince Siddharta he had cut off his topknot to renounce is prince-hood and his privileged past. Though the historical accounts and evidences suggest the Buddha probably had a shaved head, the hair of our Buddha head statue is neither totally shaved nor long, representing Buddha's middle path, a life between the extremes of indulgence and mortification.
Our Buddha head statue is depicted with a protruding head, which symbolizes the disconnection between the mind and body. Similarly, our Buddha head has an Ushnisha, a three-dimensional oval at the top of his head which represents the attainment of the Buddha's enlightenment.The half-closed eyes show a state of meditation: looking inward into the self as well as outward. The faint smile depicts the serene nature and nobility of the Buddha after attaining enlightenment.The elongated earlobes is said to represent the Buddha's hearing power which hears what is needed in the world, although the reason behind the elongated earlobes may be due to the vestiges of his life as a prince, when he wore extravagant and heavy jewellery and earrings on his ears.
The buddha head is first cast from fine clay and then hand painted, to produce this stunning Buddha Head, they measure approx 22 cm high.
Our Handpainted Nepalese Buddha Heads were handmade in Kathmandu Valley in Nepal in the late 1990s, by our fair trade artisans. The late 20th century Ceramic Buddha Heads are far superior to present day ones as they were made with love and for ceremonial purposes rather than as souvenirs for tourists.