A collector’s guide to gestures, materials and the questions worth asking

By Peter Vredeveld

An antique Buddha can catch your attention before you know anything about its history. Perhaps it is the line of a shoulder, the expression of a face or the way a hand rests against a knee. That first response matters. But when you are considering a purchase, it is worth slowing down and asking what you are actually looking at.

My interest in Asian art grew through travel. At nineteen I lived for a year in Nangi, a mountain village in Nepal. Later journeys took me to Myanmar, where my work with Buddhist sculpture began. More than twenty-five years on, I run a gallery in a former church in Deventer, in the Netherlands. The collection has grown, but the starting point is still the same: look carefully before reaching a conclusion.

Buddhist sculpture displayed beneath the stained-glass windows of the former church in Deventer. Photograph: Original Buddhas.

Begin with one piece

A first collection does not need a grand plan. One well-chosen object can teach you a great deal. Before looking for the oldest, largest or most elaborate example, ask which qualities hold your attention. Then compare a few related pieces. Differences become easier to see when you have a clear point of reference.

Read the hands and the whole figure

Hand gestures, known as mudras, offer useful clues. A raised palm commonly expresses reassurance or fearlessness. A right hand reaching over the knee towards the earth recalls the Buddha calling the earth to witness before his awakening. Both hands resting in the lap, palms upwards, are associated with meditation.

These are starting points, not a complete identification. Clothing, posture, attributes and the original setting also matter. Remember that the figure’s right hand appears on your left when you face it. Small details are easier to interpret when you ask for clear photographs rather than relying on a single distant view.

Look past the surface color

A gold-colored figure may be carved from wood, cast in bronze or made from another material beneath its finish. The wooden image shown here has a very different construction from the standing bronze. Gilding can make unlike materials appear surprisingly similar at first glance.

Look at the back, base and any exposed areas as well as the face. Bronze can be hollow; wood may have joined sections, cracks or later repairs. Neither a dark patina nor a worn patch of gilding proves age. Ask what has been restored, replaced or refinished, and request photographs of those areas.

Left: standing bronze Buddha from Laos. Right: gilded wooden Buddha in Mandalay style from Myanmar. Different materials call for different questions. Photographs: Original Buddhas.

Treat a style name as a clue

Names such as Mandalay or Sukhothai help place a sculpture within an artistic tradition. They do not automatically establish when or exactly where an individual object was made. Later artists continued earlier forms. A careful description distinguishes a historical period from a later work made in that style, and explains the evidence behind a proposed date.

Ask for the history as well as the description

Provenance means the documented history of ownership. Ask what is known about previous owners, when the object entered a collection and which records support that account. An old invoice, dated photograph or collection inventory can be more useful than an attractive story. Not every object has a complete history; the gaps should be acknowledged.

I would also ask the seller to put the attribution, estimated date, material and known condition issues in writing. A certificate records the seller’s opinion, but its title alone does not establish authenticity. What matters is the quality of the explanation and the supporting evidence. For a significant purchase, an independent specialist can help you assess uncertainties.

Peter Vredeveld examining a Buddha image in the Original Buddhas gallery in Deventer. Photograph: Original Buddhas.

Choose something you want to keep looking at

Think about where the sculpture will stand. Check its actual dimensions and weight, and use a stable surface. Keep delicate surfaces away from direct sunlight, damp conditions and strong sources of heat. Resist polishing or cleaning an unfamiliar finish before taking conservation advice.

Above all, leave yourself time. A convincing purchase should survive a second look and a few sensible questions. A first antique Buddha is not simply an object to label and put aside. It can become a reason to read, compare, visit museum collections and notice details that were invisible at the beginning.

About the author

Peter Vredeveld is the owner of Original Buddhas, a gallery specializing in antique Buddhist and Hindu sculpture in a former church in Deventer, the Netherlands. He has collected and worked with Buddhist art for more than twenty-five years.