More than 2500 years ago, Buddha, the enlightened one, was born on the border of Nepal and Bihar. Endowed with infinite spiritual strength and a universal kindness, Buddha became aware that there is a compromise between the vain pleasures of life and bitter renunciation. He developed the philosophy of Buddhism based on the four noble truths related to the universality of suffering, its origins, its annihilation and the spiritual way to reach that point. Made of re polished crystal with a satin finish, the Buddha features generous curves and a kind smile. The beauty of the design is enhanced by the artisan's manual work of crystal. Trained as a jeweler at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Paris in the late 1880's, Rene Lalique gained recognition as an independent designer for some of the era's great jewelry houses including Cartier and Boucheron. Eventually, he turned to glassmaking, and his techniques were a triumph for the Art Deco movement. Every piece of Lalique is finely detailed and produced by hand in Alsace, France.