A COPPER ALLOY HEAD OF BUDDHA


CENTRAL THAILAND, AYUTTHAYA PERIOD, 16TH-18TH CENTURYWith remains of black lacquer and gilding in recessed areas. 8 5/8 in. (22 cm) high
|泰國中部 大城時期 十六至十八世紀 銅佛首   This tranquil bronze head, cast in a rich brown alloy, depicts the Buddha with pleasing rounded features. His lips and nostrils are beautifully proportioned, the lines of his eyes and brow curve decisively, and his dome and ushnisha scale into gradually tapering mounds of nub-like hair curls. The head's rounded shape contrasts with most other post-15th century Thai depictions of the Buddha with an oval face. While scholars disagree on the dating of this style to the 16th or 18th centuries, a head in the Chantharakasem National Museum, Ayutthaya provides a good point of comparison for the type and is generally considered to be of the 16th century. For further discussion, see McGill (ed.), The Kingdom of Siam, Ghent, 2005, pp.142-4, no.45. Another related example was recently sold at Bonhams, New York, 20 March 2018, lot 3220. Provenance Private French Collection, assembled 1968-72 Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris, 31 October 2017, lot 175