金かな仏ぶつ

also: かなぼとけ

か

な

ぶ

つ

Meanings

metal Buddha statue; bronze Buddha

Refers to a statue of Buddha made of metal, typically bronze. Often contrasted with wooden or stone statues.

cold-hearted person; cold-blooded person

Figurative use comparing a person's unfeeling nature to a cold metal statue. Somewhat literary or old-fashioned.

木き仏ぶつ
Wooden Buddha statue; contrasts with 金仏 in material, and can also figuratively mean a wooden or unfeeling person.
石せき仏ぶつ
Stone Buddha statue; another material contrast, without the figurative cold-hearted nuance.

金仏Usage100%
- かなぶつ
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading かなぶつ is more common than かなぼとけ.
- かなぼとけ
  Alternate reading; less common but still encountered.
かなぼとけ

Compound of 金 (kana, 'metal') and 仏 (butsu/hotoke, 'Buddha'). The figurative sense derives from the cold, unfeeling nature of a metal statue.