A GILT-LACQUERED BRONZE HEAD OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, AYUTTHAYA PERIOD, 15TH-16TH CENTURY

拍品描述

A GILT-LACQUERED BRONZE HEAD OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, AYUTTHAYA PERIOD, 15TH-16TH CENTURY This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005: “No. 143, OK 2007, Thai Ayutthaya 15th-16th c. bronze Buddha head, Haslund coll. before 1970” Gallery price: EUR 18,000 or approx. EUR 30,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. The ledger establishes that this object was located in Europe before the UNESCO 1970 Convention entered into force. Expert’s note: This magnificent head of a Buddha belonged to a large-scale standing or seated image. That it was cast independently of the body is clear from the ‘neck collar’ where it would have originally been riveted or soldered onto the torso. It has all the hallmarks of Buddhahood, the auspicious signs (lakshanas) that marked out the bodhisattva Shakyamuni as one destined for full awakening. These include the skull protuberance (ushnisha), here particularly pronounced. The distended earlobes and tufts of hair represented as clock-wise spirals, both of which resulted from the renunciation, are given prominence. Stylistically, it belongs to the high period of Buddha production in the early Ayutthaya period. While the Siamese capital of Ayutthaya is its probable place of casting, we cannot say with certainty, as the prevailing style was widely practiced in this period of political unity. Thailand. Superbly cast, the serene face sensitively modeled with carefully delineated downcast eyes inlaid in mother-of-pearl and black lacquer below elegantly arched brows converging on a narrow nose bridge, the bow-shaped lips forming a subtle smile, flanked by elongated earlobes, and the hair arranged in tight snail-shell curls over the ushnisha. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Height 33.2 cm (excl. stand), 46.5 cm (incl. stand) With an associated wood stand. (2) Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Thai bronze head of Buddha Shakyamuni with traces of gilt, dated 15th-16th century, 39.4 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2019.570.12. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 14 June 2024, lot 185 Price: EUR 38,400 or approx. EUR 40,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar expression, facial features, and size (30.5 cm). Note the better-preserved gilding. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 26 March 2025, lot 511 Mid-Estimate: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 36,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar expression, facial features, and hairstyle. Note the size (36.8 cm) and lack of gilding.

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