Figure Japanese Buddha Figure Made of Iron

A seated Buddha figure made of iron, its dark, scarred surface covered in an exceptionally beautiful patina – a hand-worked one-of-a-kind piece estimated to date from the 1930s.

On the chest of the figure a manji is worked in, the Buddhist sun wheel symbol (swastika in its original, religious sense) – a traditional symbol of good fortune and the teachings of Buddha, which has been used in Buddhist iconography for centuries. The calm, introspective seated posture, with the hands resting in the lap, follows the classical meditation posture and radiates the inner serenity typical of Buddha figures.

Iron as a material for Buddha figures is markedly rarer than bronze or wood, which makes this piece a particularly interesting find for collectors in search of unusual materials.