A BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, ANGKOR PERIOD, KHMER EMPIRE, 12TH CENTURY
Finely cast seated in dhyanasana, his hands held in dhyana mudra, wearing a sampot and adorned with armlets and a necklace. The face with a serene expression marked by almond-shaped eyes and full lips forming a subtle smile, flanked by pendeloque earrings, his hair arranged in tight curls over the conical ushnisha and behind a striated tiara.


Provenance
: French private collection and thence by descent. According to the family, the present lot was acquired at Christie’s in 1989.

Condition
: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and erosion, nicks, scratches, encrustations. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown, dark patina showing distinct malachite encrustations.

Weight: 121.5 g
Dimensions: Height 8.9 cm


Literature comparison:

Compare a Khmer bronze of a seated Buddha, 8.3 cm tall, dated 13th-17th century, in the British Museum, museum number 1954,0715.17.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Melbourne, 1 May 2007, lot 81
Estimate: AUD 5,000 or approx.
EUR 4,600
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bronze kneeling figure of a Vishvarkaman, the celestial architect, Khmer, 12th century
Expert remark: Compare the related manner of casting, modeling, and patina. Note different subject and the size (16.5 cm).