Vairocana is the oldest of the five Dhyani Wisdom Buddhas. Here he is seated on a circular pedestal with 42 lotus petals, with a soft expression of grace and a gentle smile, performing the mudra of turning the wheel of the Dharma. A connotation of the Buddha’s first sermon in Sarnath after he attained enlightenment.

This aged sacred three-metals Vairocana statue is brilliantly evoked and luxuriantly cloaked with gilded silver over the gold figure. His hair in blue gathered in a bun, large earlobes reaching his shoulders. The charming facial features of the Great Illuminator are rendered in delicate brush works painted over cold gold, revealing a young face of compassion and omniscience. The complex arrangement of the Dharmachakra Mudra is accomplished in the positioning of the hands with their back-turning fingertips, graciously endowing this Vairocana with a kinetic quality. The accomplished artistry shows both in the front and back views, including the replacement of an engraved copper base plate, leaving no doubt that this is a work of integrity.