Three Saints of the West Statues in Boxwood

Description

The three saints west statues arrive as a set of three figures carved from close-grained Chinese boxwood, each distinct in gesture and precise in iconographic detail. Held individually, each piece is lighter than expected. Together, they complete a recognized devotional arrangement.

The Three Saints of the West, Xifang San Sheng in Chinese, form the central devotional grouping of Pure Land Buddhism, the most widely practiced school of Chinese Buddhist tradition. Amitabha Buddha holds the center, flanked by the Bodhisattva Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara) and Mahasthamaprapta. This trinity has been rendered in boxwood by workshops in Zhejiang and Fujian since at least the Tang dynasty, a tradition spanning more than twelve hundred years. The iconographic requirements, specific mudra, attributes, and proportions, are fixed by canonical texts that craftsmen train against directly.

Chinese boxwood, Buxus sinica, is among the densest fine-carving hardwoods: slow-grown, tight-grained, resistant to splitting and shrinkage over decades of handling. Each figure is carved by hand, with robes, mudra, and identifying attributes rendered to the precision the material allows. The Amitabha figure stands approximately 15 cm; flanking figures are proportionally scaled. Weight is concentrated in the base of each piece for stable placement without a mount. Natural finish, no lacquer applied.

Set of three hand-carved Chinese boxwood statues: Amitabha Buddha, Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara), Mahasthamaprapta. Natural finish. Central figure approximately 15 cm height. Origin: Zhejiang or Fujian, China. Category: Buddhist statue set.

A complete iconographic set in a twelve-hundred-year carving tradition. Each piece stands without a mount. Artisan d’Asie sources directly from verified Zhejiang workshops.