Page 48 - 2021 March 16th Indian, Himalayan and Tibetan Art, Bonhams NYC New York

320
A COPPER ALLOY HEAD OF BUDDHA
THAILAND, SUKHOTHAI PERIOD, CIRCA 1350-1400
21 5/8 in. (59.4 cm) high
$15,000 - 20,000

泰國 素可泰王國時期 約1350-1400年 銅佛首

This sizable head portrays Buddha’s serenity and “classic”
Sukhothai elements. With heavy-lidded eyes gazing
downwards in blissful contemplation, his arched brow
gives rise to a beaked nose, beneath which a gentle
smile plays out across his lips. His fleshy jowls are framed
by pendulous earlobes, while his short curls are well-
articulated in symmetrical arrangement over his dome
and ushnisha. A flame surmounts his crown, a beacon
of his enlightened consciousness. Compare two other
“classic” Sukhothai examples in the Walters Museum of
Art, attributed to the second half of the 14th century, and
displaying similarly treated nasal bridges, recessed lips,
and upswept eyes (Woodward, The Sacred Sculpture of
Thailand, 1997, pp.154 & 156, figs.155 & 157).

Provenance
Private Collection, London, 1970s-2013

46 | BONHAMS