Cast Bronze Thursday Buddha, 41 Inches

A seated figure in a gold finish. The right shoulder is bare, and the robe crosses the other shoulder. Both hands rest in the lap, one over the other. The hair is a cap of tight curls with a flame-shaped finial. The base is tiered, with a patterned panel on the front and a low rectangular foot. A thin cord crosses the hands in the photograph.

The title calls the metal cast bronze and the posture the Thursday figure. In the Thai set of weekday images, Thursday sits in meditation with the hands in the lap. The address calls the metal brass. The gold is a surface color, not solid gold. The title lists 41 inches tall and 24 inches from knee to knee. An older paragraph lists 43 inches tall, 31 inches wide, and 16 inches deep. The pictures do not show either set of measurements. The product record lists 290 pounds. A piece this size needs a freight quote.

Cast bronze of this kind is made by the lost-wax method used in Thai foundries. The figure is modeled in wax, usually over a clay core, and wax rods are added for the pour. Clay, often mixed with rice husk, is built around the wax. The mold is fired, the wax runs out, and molten bronze is poured into the hollow. When the metal is cool, the mold is broken off, and the surface is chased, then finished.

One statue, base included. Dust it. Do not scour the gold finish.