227 - RARE FOOTPRINTS OF BUDDHA TIBET NEPAL OR INDIA 17TH CENTURY

RARE FOOTPRINTS OF BUDDHA TIBET NEPAL OR INDIA 17TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 24 cm Wide 22 cm Depth 2 cm Weight: 461 grams A square metal plaque bearing a pair of large relief footprints of the Buddha, each foot carefully articulated with individual toes, rounded pads and symbolic motifs on the soles. Floral emblems occupy the central arches while large circular symbols appear near the heels. Small holes around the outer edge indicate that the plaque was intended to be attached or suspended as part of a larger devotional setting. The surface is dark brown with green oxidation and warmer coppery areas, especially on the raised footprints. The Buddha's footprints, or Buddhapada, belong to one of the oldest traditions of Buddhist representation. Before anthropomorphic images of the Buddha became widespread, his presence could be evoked through signs such as an empty throne, the Bodhi tree, a wheel or footprints. Even after figural sculpture became dominant, Buddhapada remained powerful because they suggest both presence and absence: the Buddha has stood here, yet he is no longer physically present. That idea gives the plaque an unusual emotional directness. The footprints are life-sized enough to invite an instinctive comparison with the viewer's own body, while the sacred symbols transform ordinary human feet into signs of enlightenment. The worn, oxidised metal surface further strengthens the sense of an object made for repeated devotional encounter rather than detached display.