Page 71 - Christies March 14 2017 Tibetan Bronzes NYC

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A LARGE BRONZE BUST OF BUDDHA

THAILAND, SUKKOTHAI PERIOD,
14TH/15TH CENTURY
27 in. (68.5 cm.) high
$40,000-60,000

PROVENANCE

Acquired by the current owner from
Sotheby’s London, 10 June 1985, Lot 35.
泰國 素可泰風格 十四/十五世紀 銅佛胸像
The pleasing proportions, subtle smile, and
tranquil eyes of this bust of Buddha make
it a beautiful example of Sukkothai period
sculpture. It exemplifes the ideal features
as laid out in the Silpasastra, where
the head is in the shape of an egg,
the hair resembles scorpion stings, the
nose is like a parrot’s beak, the eyebrows
form drawn bows, and the chin is in the
shape of a mango stone. (see T. Bowie, The
Art of Thailand, 1960, p. 92). The delicate
facial features are strongly reminiscent of
the images produced in the Sukkothai
kingdom, which spanned from the mid-13th to
mid-15th centuries.

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