Estimated value: €450 – €650. This antique bronze Buddha statue depicts the Buddha in the Abhaya mudra, the gesture of protection, reassurance, and inner strength. The statue is hollow-cast from thin-walled bronze and shows remnants of old fire gilding in combination with red pigment or lacquer layers, a traditional finish common in Chinese-Buddhist and Sino-Buddhist statues from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The underside has been manually opened and shows clear signs of long-term natural aging, including irregular raised edges, multi-layered oxidation, and mineral deposits. Microscopic examination shows no characteristics of modern machine processing; the opening is old and consistent with historical use. The patina has developed naturally and is technically and visually consistent with the rest of the object. With its compact size, this type of statue was suitable for home altars or personal devotion and represents an authentic example of Asian Buddhist bronze art around 1900, preserved in its original, untouched state.
