A GOLD REPOUSSE FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, AYUTTHAYA KINGDOM, 1351-1767 Thailand, 17th-18th century. Seated in dhyanasana atop a finely chased, double lotus base, the right hand lowered in bhumisparsa mudra, the left resting on his lap, dressed in monastic robes. The serene face with a benevolent smile, flanked by long earlobes, the hair in tight curls surmounted by a flaming ushnisha.

Condition: Very good condition with old wear, expected soil encrustations, minor losses, dents and nicks. The core is still in place.
Provenance: The collection of The Zelnik István Southeast Asian Gold Museum. Institutional art collection in Belgium, acquired from the above. Dr. István Zelnik, President of the Hungarian South and Southeast Asian Research Institute, is a former high-ranking Hungarian diplomat who spent several decades in Southeast Asia, building the largest known private collection of Asian art in Europe.

Weight: 698.4 g
Dimensions: Height 18.5 cm

With a recent fitted silk storage box. (2)

Expert's Note: This pristinely modeled Buddha was fashioned from a sheet of 24-carat gold, using the repoussé embossing technique, neatly modeled above an ancient resin or bitumen core. The style combines characteristics of both Cambodian and Thai sculptural schools. Statues made of pure gold, dating back to this era, are generally considered as rare.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related Ayutthaya Lopburi-style gold repoussé Buddha, dated before 1424, but of smaller size (10.6 cm high), in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession number 1999.316. Compare a related Ayutthaya gold and silver repoussé Buddha, dated 1300-1600, in the collection of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, object number 1989.44.