Page 186 - Himalayan Art Macrh 19 2018 Bonhams

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A COPPER ALLOY HEAD OF CROWNED BUDDHA This elegant image of Buddha is a fine example of the Phra Chao
THAILAND, AYUTTHAYA PERIOD, 17TH CENTURY Song Khruang image: “A Lord Wearing Ornaments”. Articulated with
9 1/8 in. (23.7 cm) high a handsome face, the crowned Buddha possesses a quiet, dignified
expression. The small mouth, angular nose, lotus-petal eyes, and
$3,000 - 5,000 curved brow are typical elements of this Ayutthaya-period image. A
closely related example in the Dallas Museum of Art is published in
泰國 大城時代 十七世紀 戴冠銅佛首 Bromberg, The Arts of India, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas, 2013,
Dallas, p.243, no.141.

The sculpture also features a rarely seen inclusion of tall snail shells
resting above the diadem. This likely follows a Theravadan legend
about Siddhartha’s pursuit of continuous meditation towards
enlightenment in the Uruvela forest, seating perfectly still for so long
that snails came to dwell on his head. The lore is entwined with the
descriptive term of ‘snail-shell curls’ used to refer to the tightly tufted
swirls of hair commonly seen on other types of Buddha images from
Thailand.

Provenance
The Elizabeth and Willard Clark Collection, California since 1981

184 | BONHAMS