A Small Bronze Buddha Statue Discovered on a Beach in Western Australia Valued at AUD 180,000.
The statue has been identified as an antique from the Ming Dynasty (China). This discovery could indicate that Chinese sailors reached Australia centuries ago, even before Europeans did.
Bronze Buddha statue found on a beach in Western Australia. (Photo: Facebook).
In 2018, the Buddha statue was serendipitously discovered by filmmakers and explorers Leon Deschamps and Shayne Thomson while they were using a metal detector on the sands of a beach in Western Australia.
The small bronze statue depicts a child. It took many years to verify the true value of this statue.
Both sides of the bronze Buddha statue. (Photo: Leon Deschamps/Facebook).
Deschamps and Thomson had previously faced accusations of a sophisticated hoax to promote their film business. However, this small Buddha has been proven to be genuinely valuable.
Mr. Deschamps also believes that the bronze statue may have arrived in Australia in the 1420s. He brought the statue to England for examination on the television show Antiques Roadshow.
Lee Young, an antiques expert on the show, confirmed that the statue is indeed authentic.
The expert added: “This Buddha statue belongs to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). This antique is often displayed during celebrations of Buddha’s birthday, thus it is described as the Infant Buddha. People pour water or pure tea over the Buddha’s shoulders, so the statue needs to be made of bronze to avoid damage.”
Initially, the statue was valued between AUD 5,300 and AUD 8,900 at an auction based on recent transactions of similar antiques. However, due to the statue’s history, Mr. Young stated that the Buddha is valued at AUD 180,000.
Specifically, Deschamps and Thomson excavated the statue while conducting a showcase for a documentary about the French expedition to Australia in the early 1800s. While searching for artifacts left behind during the Napoleonic journey, they stumbled upon the statue.
Mr. Deschamps discovered the statue with his friend while using a metal detector. (Photo: Leon Deschamps/Facebook).
Chinese sailors reached Australia nearly 200 years before the Dutch set sail.
Mr. Young feels honored to be near the statue: “Occasionally, an object comes to us with an incredible story, like a treasure of the world. For me, the story and journey of this small Buddha make it a special antique.”
