Chinese Bronze Baby Buddha

One raised finger, and an entire theology in the gesture.

Chinese artisans cast this bronze figure of the infant Buddha in China in the 19th century. Statues of the young Buddha, with one hand lifted skyward, are commonly made for Buddhist shrines and temples and relate to the story of his birth. The child stands upright on a lotus pedestal, arm raised, the other hand relaxed at his side. A golden, lightly rubbed surface shows darker traces in the recesses, and the hair is picked out in a darker tone. It sits on a round dark wood stand.

About 17 inches tall. Gentle, upright, and slightly gilded.