Southeast Asia, Thailand, Ayutthaya Period, ca 17th to 18th century CE. A finely cast brass head of Buddha Sakyamuni (The Awakened One) in Ayutthaya style. Buddha's face presents a serene expression, arched eyebrows above closed eyes, an aquiline nose, smiling lips, elongated earlobes, an elaborate headdress adorned with bas relief rosette, scrolled, and beaded motifs, and a lobed cone-form ushnisha. Note the beautiful deep rich patina. Size: 2.75" W x 4.55" H (7 cm x 11.6 cm); 6.65" H (16.9 cm) on included custom stand.
The head of Buddha is perhaps the most significant element of the deity as it represents his immense body of knowledge and wisdom along with the tranquil nature that emanates from its expression. The prominent elongated ears are a physical feature symbolic of the Buddha's time as a prince when he wore elaborate ear ornaments to demonstrate wealth and prosperity. Of course, the prince stopped wearing them when he left the palace to become an ascetic; however, his earlobes remained stretched signifying a renunciation of the material world. Beyond the multi-layered meaning embodied in the iconography of this piece, the technique executed to create the meticulously delineated curls of his coiffure and the absolute smoothness of the contours of that face is very impressive.
Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection
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#142797
Condition
Head is a fragment from a larger sculpture, with a slightly rough edge along the lower neck. Dark patina over the entire surface with very light deposits in the lower profile areas.