The price of the gilded Buddha statues varied greatly depending on the age, craftsmanship, artistic value, and many other factors. For example, a 15th-century Ming Yongle bronze gilded Vajra Buddha statue sold for $893,000.(about 5.54 million yuan); The gold-bronze Buddha statues cast in the Ming Dynasty were often more expensive. For example, the gold-gilded bronze "South Sea Guanyin" sitting statue made in the 10th year of Xuande of Ming Dynasty ranked first in the transaction list of gold-bronze Guanyin models;"The Four-armed Guanyin with Gold-gilded Bronze in the Yongle Year of Ming Dynasty" was sold for 10.925 million yuan;"15th Century Gold-gilded Great Weide King Kong" was sold at a high price of 4.14 million yuan; There was also a Buddha statue that was sold at a special auction for 5.73 million US dollars. However, it was difficult to accurately determine the price based on the picture of the gilded Buddha statue. One also had to consider its specific historical period, shape, preservation status, whether it had special cultural significance, and many other factors. The novel "Gilded Palm" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The gilding of Buddha statues was an ancient technique. It appropriately utilized the decorative advantages of the real gold foil. It could not only protect the bottom of the Buddha statue, but also increase the dignity and mystery of the Buddha statue with the help of the "treasure qi" of the gold foil that had not faded for hundreds of years and people's admiration for the color of real gold. In many places, such as Myanmar, most Buddha statues were not made of pure gold. Instead, they were made of copper, stone, or wood with gold on them. Some were painted with gold paint (the main component was copper powder instead of gold). Buddhists in Myanmar were very enthusiastic about gilding. In temples with strong incense, traces of gilding could often be seen on the golden Buddha statues. Some believers bought gold foil and pasted it on themselves. For example, the small golden Buddha statues in the Punduo Temple on Lake Inlai in Myanmar are no longer distinguishable from their original shape because the residents keep putting gold on them. Take the Mahamuni Pagoda in Myanmar as an example. There was a bronze Buddha statue about four meters high. If you want to attach gold here, you need to first buy gold foil at the official sales point around the pagoda (2500 Kyat can buy a total of 5 gold leaves), and then wait in line to attach gold (women cannot attach gold, but can give the gold foil to others). When attaching the gold, he used a yellow paper lined with gold foil to press the gold foil directly onto the Buddha. Then, he took off the yellow paper. There was a "glue" similar to tung oil between the gold foil and the golden Buddha.(The thickest part of the gold foil on the Buddha was already more than 16 centimeters, which was the thickness of gold and black paint.) In China, there was a long history of gold engraving on wooden Buddha statues. It was originally used in the royal palace and imperial mausoleums, and later developed into gold engraving on Buddha statues and temples. The steps of the gilding process were roughly as follows: 1. Basic layer processing: First, the parts to be gilded shall be inlaid with paint ash to be dense, flat, smooth, and dust-free. 2. To make gold feet: also known as gold pad, choose high-quality wide paint, the paint head is a little heavier, use a special small paint brush to dip in the wide paint and carefully paint the parts to be gilded. Generally, it was appropriate to make the gold foot twice, but there were also three times, the purpose was to make the paint film plump and saturated. 3. Gold: When the gold feet are about to dry for the last time, carefully apply gold foil or aluminum foil on the gold feet. The degree of dryness of the gold feet was the key. The old gold foil and the gold feet would not stick well, and if it was too tender, the surface would be dry and the inside would not be dry. The operation must be quick and meticulous, and if you find any missing posts, you must immediately make up for it. 4. Gold coating: After the gold coating is dry, paint a layer of paint on it. The paint brush used for gold coating should be a small and soft paint brush. The painting method is the same as that of the paint coating. The novel "Gilded Palm" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The value of the gilded Buddha statues varied greatly due to many factors. According to historical data, in the early days, when collectors began to collect gilded Buddha statues from the Ming and Qing Dynasties in 1995, the market value of the bronze Buddha statues with royal designs, craftsmanship, and gold water was only a few thousand or ten thousand yuan. However, the auction price could reach tens of millions now. In the market, the average gilded Buddha statue was only a few thousand yuan in the early days, but now it had risen to hundreds of thousands of yuan. For example, the gold-plated Guanyin statue made by Emperor Xuande of Ming Dynasty was sold for 126,500,000 RMB at the Poly 2021 Spring Auction on June 7, 2021. Different ages, size, craftsmanship, whether there was a royal seal, and the condition of the Buddha statue would all affect the value of the gilded Buddha statue. The novel " Gilded Palm " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The following steps were needed to repair the gold-plated Buddha statue: 1. Assessment and preparation: - [Material identification: The Buddha statue is a gilded Buddha statue. The base of the gilded Buddha statue is made of various materials, possibly bronze or other metals.] Different base materials might require different preliminary treatments. For example, the bronze Buddha statue needed to consider whether it had bronze rust. - Damage assessment: Check the range of gold loss, whether there is any corrosion of the underlying metal, etc., to determine the specific steps and time required for repair. - "Preparing work: Prepare the tools and materials needed for the repair, such as an glue suitable for gold gilding repair, gold foil or gold paint similar to the original gold gilding color, polishing tools, cleaning agents, etc. At the same time, they had to ensure the cleanliness and safety of the working environment. 2. Cleaning and processing: - Cleaning: Use a gentle cleaning agent and a soft cloth to gently wipe the surface of the Buddha statue to remove dust, dirt, and impurities that may affect the attachment, but be careful not to damage the Buddha statue. For the gilded Buddha statue, special attention should be paid to the cleaning agent not to have a chemical reaction with the gold layer or the base metal. - Dry: After washing, ensure that the Buddha statue is completely dry. You can use a clean soft cloth to gently dry it, and if necessary, you can use a hairdryer to dry it at a low temperature. - Treatment: For the possible uneven or rusted parts of the gold-plated parts (if the base is metal and rusted), use appropriate tools for preliminary treatment, such as removing loose gold layer debris, polishing smooth rust spots, etc., but pay attention not to excessively damage the original gilded layer. 3. Repair and fill: - For the gold-plated part, if it was a small area of gold-plated, you could use an appropriate glue to paste the gold foil that was similar in color to the original gold-plated part. If a large area of gold was lost, it might need to be repaired with gold paint. Pay attention to the smoothness and layering when applying, and try to be consistent with the original gilding effect to achieve the purpose of repairing the old. - After the repair, the repaired area needed to be properly protected to prevent the newly repaired gold layer from falling off again. For example, a layer of transparent protective paint could be applied, but this layer of paint had to match the texture of the original Buddha statue. It could not be too bright or rough. The novel "Gilded Palm" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
Judging from the auction market, the price of the gilded Guan Yu statue varied greatly. For example, the bronze gilded Guan Yu statue in the middle of the Qing Dynasty was sold for 55,200 yuan; the bronze gilded Guan Yu statue in the Qing Dynasty was sold for 57,500 yuan; the bronze gilded Guan Yu statue in the Ming Dynasty was even more expensive. For example, the bronze gilded Guan Yu statue in the Ming Dynasty collected by an important collector in Taiwan was sold for 2.9 million Hong Kong dollars at the first art auction in Poly Macau on January 10,2016 (pre-auction valuation: 3,000,000 - 5,000,000). There were also relatively lower prices, such as the bronze gilded Guan Gong statue, which had no reserve price and sold for 13,800 yuan. In general, the price was influenced by many factors such as the age, craftsmanship, preservation, and artistic value of the Guan Gong statue. The novel "Gilded Palm" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The price of the gilded Buddha statues varied greatly due to many factors. The age of the Buddha statue, the level of craftsmanship, the state of preservation, and the artistic value would all affect its price. For example, the bronze gilded Buddha statue of Amitayus in Xuande of the Ming Dynasty was sold for 27,500,000 yuan, while the bronze gilded Buddha statue of Sakyamuni was sold for 3,530,000 yuan and 3,232,000 yuan. Some gilded Buddha statues in the Ming Dynasty were sold for 85.88 million yuan, 68.97 million yuan, 53.68 million yuan, and so on. In terms of craftsmanship, if the design was beautiful, the production was exquisite, and the decorative patterns were gorgeous, the value was usually higher. In addition, the price of a well-preserved gilded Buddha statue was much higher than that of a more damaged or peeling gilded Buddha statue. At the same time, some gilded Buddha statues with special religious significance or reflecting the social, political, and cultural characteristics of a specific period would be more expensive due to their high artistic value and research value. In short, it was difficult to determine the price of the gilded Buddha statues. The novel " Gilded Palm " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
Judging from the information of the Buddha statues, cracks were a common phenomenon. For example, there were cracks on the left arm, right leg, right knee, and pedestal of the 16th century gold-plated bronze statue of Sakyamuni Buddha; there were cracks on the right skirt of the 18th century gold-plated Guanyin statue and fine cracks on the edge of the pedestal. As these Buddha statues had a certain history, it was possible for cracks to appear under the influence of many factors such as the erosion of time, changes in the preservation environment, or the casting process itself. Therefore, it was normal for the gilded Buddha statues to have cracks. The novel " Gilded Palm " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The gilded Buddha statues would fade, but the time they lasted was different. Generally speaking, large Buddha statues that were not taken care of often had a slight fading phenomenon. If it was a Buddha statue that needed to be wiped frequently, it would usually start to lose its gold color in a few years. This was inevitable. The novel " Gilded Palm " is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The gilded Buddha statues appeared in the Northern Wei Dynasty (a gilded bronze Buddha statue was unearthed in 475 AD), the Southern and Northern Dynasties (during the spread of Buddhism between 420 - 589 AD, there were bronze Buddha statues gilded), and the Ming Dynasty (such as the Yongle style gilded copper Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Ming Dynasty gilded Buddha statue of Sakyamuni, etc.). The novel "Gilded Palm" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
The gilded Buddha statue of "Ming Yongle Nian Shi" had the following characteristics: ** 1. Style ** 1. ** Combining multiple styles ** - The style of Yongle palace statues was based on the seal and Tibetan patterns, which was integrated into the traditional aesthetic interest of the Han Dynasty and showed a highly integrated artistic characteristic. For example, some of the Buddha statues had the features of Tibetan Buddhism statues, but they also incorporated the aesthetic requirements of the Han Dynasty for the Buddha statues to be square and solemn. 2. ** Common facial features and clothing traits ** - Most of the faces were square and round. For example, the face shape of the four-armed Guanyin Bodhisattva statue in the Yongle year of Ming Dynasty was the same as the square and round face commonly seen in Yongle statues, but there may be some subtle differences, such as being slightly longer. - The patterns on the clothes were complicated, smooth, and full of movement. Like some Buddha statues, the four layers of necklaces on their chests, the arm bracelets, and other beaded patterns were round, smooth, and full. This was a typical feature of Yongle statues. - The Buddha statues in Yongle Palace were famous for their gorgeous clothes and rich decorations. For example, some Buddha statues had a gourd-shaped high bun on their heads and five Buddha crowns. Each lotus petal was embossed with a sitting Buddha, which was gilded and prominent. They wore necklaces around their necks, with natural drooping Yingluo. Inside, they wore monk's clothes. The sides of the necklaces were engraved with curls of grass and then painted with gold. A large lotus flower was carved on the shoulders and knees. 3. ** The uniqueness of different Buddha statues ** - For example, in the Yongle year of the Ming Dynasty, a bronze gilded four-armed Guanyin Bodhisattva statue was made. The top of the head was a Mani jewelry top, with a high bun dyed with Buddha's top green. There was a five-leaf corolla on the forehead, and the hair belt behind the ear was rolled in a V-shape. The ear pendant was slanted to the shoulder, and the lotus vine was held in the right hand. The prayer beads held in the left hand might be the opposite of most cases. There was a deep Yin line under the eyelid and face, which was longer than the eye length and similar to the double pupil. The nose was small and closed up, as if it was influenced by Nepal sculpture style. ** 2. The size and use of the Buddha statue ** 1. ** size specifications and common uses ** - The size of the Yongle Gold-plated Bronze Buddha was clearly defined and standardized in the entire Yongle Buddha statue. The most common ones were royal gifts given to Xizang monasteries and high-level monks. The production specifications were quite high. For example, statues of the Yongle Gold-plated Bronze Buddha between 20 and 23 centimeters were more common, such as the Ming Yongle Gold-plated Amitayus Buddha sitting statue, which was 22.5 centimeters tall. There were also small size (below 18 cm) that were probably made for personal use. 2. ** Instance of Buddha statues of different size ** - There were examples of Buddha statues of different size in some of the museum and auction houses. For example, among the more than 20 Yongle and Xuan statues in the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing, there was a Yongle bronze gilded Baosheng Buddha sitting statue, about 21.2 centimeters high; the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, exhibited a Yongle Amitayus Buddha of about 20.5 centimeters; there was also a Yongle palace statue with a height of 25 centimeters with the inscription of "Ming Yongle Year". ** 3. The artistic value and market situation of Buddha statues ** 1. ** artistic value ** - In terms of craftsmanship, the palace statues of the Ming Dynasty were extremely exquisite. The gold and water were brilliant, the proportions were precise, and the magnificence reflected the characteristics of both sorrow and wisdom. These Buddha statues showed a high artistic level in terms of shape, decoration, and craftsmanship. 2. ** Market Value ** - In the Buddha statue auction market, the "Ming Yongle Year Grands" Buddha statue was very expensive, accounting for half of the top ten expensive Buddha statues. For example, a Ming Yongle gilded bronze statue of Sakyamuni Buddha was once sold for a sky-high price of 236 million Hong Kong dollars. The novel "Gilded Palm" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
Gilded statues were an exquisite art form, mainly reflected in the field of statues such as Buddha statues. In terms of historical period, it involved many dynasties. For example, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, there was a gilded bronze Guanyin statue, which was 53 centimeters high. It was unearthed in the underground palace of the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda in the Miyin Pagoda Temple in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province in 1958 and is now stored in the National Museum. There were also many exquisite gilded statues in the Ming Dynasty. For example, the gilded Buddha statue of the Ming Dynasty had unique modeling characteristics, such as regular spiral hair and high bun. The pedestal was engraved with the words "Ming Xuande Nianshi", which had the artistic style of the palace statues of the Ming Xuande Dynasty. The bronze gilded Guanyin statue of Ming Yongle was 146 centimeters high. It was now collected in the Qinghai Province Museum. It was given to Qutan Temple in Qinghai by Zhu Di. This Guanyin statue showed a mature level of craftsmanship. Its aesthetic value reflected the cultural identity of Tibetan Buddhism and Han Buddhism. There was also the bronze gilded Buddha statue of the 18th century. It was cast in fine copper and gilded heavily. There were also gilded statues in the Qing Dynasty. For example, there was a 15-centimeter high gilded bronze Buddha statue of the Qing Dynasty. The Buddha was sitting on a lotus seat. The proportion was harmonious and the shape was beautiful. The carving method was simple and rusty. It was now in the collection of Renhuai City Museum. In terms of modeling characteristics, different gilded statues had their own characteristics. Take the statue of Guanyin as an example. The gilded bronze statue of Guanyin (Shuiyue Guanyin) in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period had a unique sitting posture, while the statue of Guanyin in Yongle of the Ming Dynasty was slightly twisted, with both hands holding the long stem of the lotus flower, the left hand performing the Dharma Seal, and the right hand performing the Wish Seal. The sitting posture of the statue of Guanyin gave the viewer a sense of freedom. It was a game sitting, with the left hand supporting the ground and the right hand naturally resting on the right knee. Other Buddha statues, such as the statue of Sakyamuni, had different gestures such as the Zen Seal and the Exorcism Seal. From the collection and exhibition situation, most of the gilded statues were collected and exhibited by the museum. For example, the gilded bronze Guanyin statue was collected and exhibited by the National Museum, and it was also copied back to the local museum for exhibition. For example, in 2017, its replica was exhibited in the underground palace restoration scene displayed in Jinhua City Museum for a long time. In the cultural sense, these gilded statues reflected the religious and cultural implications of the time, reflecting the religious beliefs, artistic aesthetics, and cultural values of different periods. The novel "Gilded Palm" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!