Page 74 - Maitri CollectionAsian Art Bonhams

“Happy is the birth of a Buddha,
happy is the teaching of dhamma,
happy is the harmony of his followers,
happy is the life of those who live in harmony.”
(The Dhammapada, ch.14, v.194, translated by Juan Mascaro)

3222 W
A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF CROWNED BUDDHA
THAILAND, AYUTTHAYA PERIOD, 17TH CENTURY
With traces of lacquer and gilding.
45 in. (114.3 cm) high

$30,000 - 50,000
泰國 大城時代 素可泰晚期風格 十七世紀 戴冠銅佛立像

Large, complete, beautifully proportioned, and surviving with a glossy, variegated
patina, the sculpture is one of the finest examples of the Ayutthayan Crowned Buddha
in Western collections. A slightly earlier masterpiece of the same style is held in the
Chantharakasem National Museum, dated around the turn of the 17th century (Krairiksh,
The Sacred Image, Koln, 1979, pp. 210-1, no.67).

Ayutthaya at this time had one of the most prosperous capitals in the world, with foreign
powers clamoring to trade with the ‘Kingdom of Siam’. The tide had turned in the
Burmese-Siamese wars, when in 1594 Ayutthaya launched its first offensive invasion of
Burma rather than the other way around. The early and mid-17th century also saw one of
the longest intermissions between major military campaigns during the three-century war.
By 1700, it is estimated that the capital had the world’s largest population, at around one
million. During this time, Ayutthaya furthered its vigorous cultural program, culminating in
the highest concentration of Buddhist art perhaps anywhere in the world.

The air of Ayutthaya’s prosperity and strength is reflected in this Crowned Buddha, which
employs ornament and symmetry to convey majesty and inner fortitude. His overall
simplicity of silhouette and abstracted physiognomy are also designed to emphasize the
supreme consciousness that the Crowned Buddha embodies in this form, as opposed
to prompting the viewer to focus on the mortality of the historical Buddha. The present
lot compares favorably to a later example in the National Museum, Bangkok, published
in National Museum Volunteers Group, Treasures from the National Museum, Bangkok,
2010, p.47, no.73.

Provenance
Collection of Roberto Del Mastio, Florence, 1980s
Marcel Nies Oriental Art, Antwerp, 19 June 2006

72 | BONHAMS