Buddha means "Awakened one" or "Enlightened one. Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, in Sanskrit, or Siddhartha Gotama, in Pali, was a spiritual teacher from ancient India and the founder of Buddhism. He is generally recognized by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddha of our age. The precise nature of such a supreme Buddha - whether "merely" human or a transcendental, immortal, god-transcending being - is differently construed in Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. Gautama, also known as Sakyamuni or Shakyamuni (sage of the Shakyas), is the key figure in Buddhism, and accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules were said to have been summarized after his death and memorized by the sangha. Scholars are increasingly reluctant to make unqualified claims about the historical facts of the Buddha's life and teachings.

Brass sculptures are cheaper replicas of bronze statues made by the artisans of Tanjore in Tamil Nadu in south India. Since bronze sculptures, made through lost wax are very expensive, artisans of north India (Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh) began to make cheaper versions in brass for more price conscious customers. These brass statues aren't as elegant as the ones in bronze, but they are priced three times cheaper and many people buy them as good decorative pieces instead of buying them as collectibles.