Bronze Indra Statue – Nepal

• Nepalese bronze statue of Indra, depicted seated in lalitasana (royal ease posture). In Hinduism, Indra is the king of the gods, an ancient Indo-European deity associated with storms and war.
• In Buddhism, under the name Śakra, he becomes a celestial sovereign, protector of the Dharma and servant of the Buddha.
• This sculpture belongs to the 19th-century Newar craft tradition and is made using the lost-wax technique.
• Provenance: estate of the collector and Asian art dealer Claude de Marteau.
• Sold with certificate of origin.
• Dimensions: max H 34 cm × max D 16 cm × max W 26 cm.
  Height without base: 30 cm.
  Base (modern): H 4 cm × W 20.5 cm × D 16 cm.

Indra in the Buddhist tradition

Indra rules over the realm of the Thirty-Three Gods (Trāyastriṃśa), located at the summit of Mount Meru. He is no longer a supreme deity, but a powerful deva, subject to the law of karma and the cycle of rebirths.

• Protector of the Buddha: he appears in many episodes of Śākyamuni’s life. He is notably present at the Miracle of Śrāvastī alongside Brahmā, and intervenes in certain accounts before or after the Buddha’s awakening.
• Protector of the Dharma: venerated in Buddhist traditions across Asia, notably under the name Taishakuten in Japan, he is sometimes depicted holding the vajra, a symbol of spiritual power.
• Conditioned being: despite his status as a celestial king, Indra remains subject to samsara. He is described as prone to pride and to the impermanence of his power, illustrating a still incomplete spiritual realization.

In statuary, Indra is depicted either in a posture of adoration, often kneeling before the Buddha, or as a celestial sovereign holding the vajra.

About this piece

A technical detail appears at the left arm, where two small holes are visible. They most likely correspond to vents related to the lost-wax casting process, allowing air to escape and ensuring proper flow of the molten metal.

Two similar holes are also present under the left leg, an area without any iconographic attribute. This distribution confirms their technical rather than decorative function. Such traces are common on ancient bronzes and attest to casting constraints and the artisan’s skill.