Taiwan sculptor makes 2-meter-tall crystal statue of Buddha inspired by cave painting

TAIPEI, Taiwan – A Taiwanese sculptor has made a 2-meter- (6.6 foot-) tall crystal glass statue of "Buddha of a Thousand Hands" she says was inspired by an 800-year-old painting from China's Yuan dynasty.

Loretta Yang says the statue is twice as tall as one she made in 2006 that was recognized then as the world's tallest crystal glass Buddha statue.

She says her new statue has a few tiny cracks and is "less than perfect" but it fulfills her wish to save in crystal the fading Buddha images painted on the famous Dunhuang cave walls in western China.

Yang is artistic director and co-founder of glassmaker Liuli Gongfang. She is Buddhist and has created Buddha statues and other glass works in traditional and modern styles. They are on display in Taipei.