Priceless Tibetan Buddha statue looted by Nazis was carved from meteorite
A priceless Buddha statue looted by Nazis in Tibet in the 1930s was carved from a meteorite which crashed to the Earth 15,000 years ago, according to new research.
The relic bears a Buddhist swastika on its belly – an ancient symbol of luck that was later co-opted by the Nazis in Germany.
Analysis has shown the statue is made from an incredibly rare form of nickel-rich iron present in falling stars.
The 1000-year-old carving, which is 24cm high and weighs 10kg, depicts the god Vaisravana, the Buddhist King of the North, and is known as the Iron Man statue.
No comments:
Post a Comment