A MONUMENTAL (40 CM) AND IMPORTANT BRONZE HEAD OF BUDDHA, NORTHERN THAILAND, 14TH-15TH CENTURY

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A MONUMENTAL (40 CM) AND IMPORTANT BRONZE HEAD OF BUDDHA, NORTHERN THAILAND, 14TH-15TH CENTURY This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve Expert’s note: Thai bronzes of this size and preservation are exceptionally rare, particularly those that are over 500 years old. It is challenging to imagine the impressive scale of the complete seated sculpture to which this head once belonged. The original image probably measured around 125-130 cm in height if seated (excluding the base), based on the proportions of a smaller Lan Na bronze figure of Buddha sold at Bonhams New York, 21 March 2023, lot 530A, while a standing figure would have been well over two meters tall. Only a few works of similar magnitude have endured the test of time, and this magnificent head is among the largest privately owned examples. Despite the passage of centuries, it has retained all its spirit: a near-magical presence, a profound sense of tranquility, and, above all, its ability to inspire. Heavily cast, the serene face with downcast eyes and heavy lids beneath delicately arched brows, a slightly aquiline ‘beaked’ nose and softly smiling and incised lips, flanked by pendulous earlobes, the hair is finely worked in snail-shell curls arranged in tiered rows, surmounted by an ushnisha and a distinctive bud-shaped finial. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Height 40 cm This larger than life-size and superbly cast head of the historical Buddha shows him with a sublime inner calm resulting from his deep spiritual compassion. This is enhanced by the rich patina of the bronze. With its prominent bud-shaped finial, it is a classic example of the iconic Phra Singh type, sometimes also called Early Chieng Sen, seen for its robust, fleshier build as one of Thailand's most sensuous Buddha images. The voluminous face, with its snail-shaped curls, is reminiscent of the casting workshops of the city of Chieng Sen in the Lan Na kingdom in North Thailand. Ceasing to represent the Buddha in a Khmer manner by the 13th century, the emergent Thai kingdoms of Sukhothai and Lan Na developed their own emblematic Buddha images. Coded within Lan Na's Prah Singh type is an intriguing multiculturalism, with a physique and iconography drawn from Indian Gupta and Pala prototypes as they filtered through Pagan and Sri Lanka. Examples of the Prah Singh type are found in Lan Na and Sukhothai bronzes of the 14th and 15th centuries, see a Buddha from Sukhothai and now at Wat Pho, Bangkok, dated last half 14th century, illustrated by Carol Stratton, Buddhist Sculpture of Northern Thailand, 2004, p. 171, fig. 7.18; and another at Wat Phra That Boromathat, described as “Lan Na with some Sukhothai styling”, 86 cm high, dated early 15th century, illustrated ibid., p. 174, fig. 7.29. Literature comparison: Compare a related Sukhothai bronze head of Buddha, dated 14th-15th century, 41.4 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1981.458. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s London, 11 May 2016, lot 102 Price: GBP 40,000 or approx. EUR 65,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related modeling and manner of casting with similar facial expression, snail-shell curls, and size (41 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Christie’s Amsterdam, 31 October 2000, lot 121 Price: NLG 163,828 or approx. EUR 140,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related casting manner and modeling with similar facial expression and snail-shell curls. Note the larger size (60 cm).

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