Estimated value: €3,000 – €5,000. This Tibetan bronze Buddha statue is a ritual object whose significance derives from use, time, and history, rather than aesthetic perfection. The statue is cast in bronze and placed on a lotus throne, showing clear signs of age and use. A missing hand and damage to the lotus are old breaks with rounded, co-patinated edges, indicating damage that did not occur recently but has become part of the aging process. The surface shows a deep, dry patina profile with multi-layered oxidation and mineral deposits, consistent with long-term exposure and ritual use. The open underside reveals a rough sand-cast structure with no signs of modern restoration or interventions. In a Tibetan context, such damage is often associated with periods of displacement, temple decay, or iconoclasm, although no specific historical event can be attributed to this object. It is precisely these traces that make the statue a document of religious practice and historical rupture, placing it closer to a museum study object than a decorative artwork. The statue thus represents an authentic fragment of Tibetan Buddhist heritage, where use, loss, and survival visibly converge.
