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All auctions / Ancient Art / Thailand – Kingdom of Ayutthaya Bronze / copper alloy...


Important bronze crowned Buddha head, belonging to the Thai type traditionally designated Phra Chao Song Khrueang, representing the Buddha in the guise of a sovereign adorned with royal attire. The work belongs to the great artistic tradition of the kingdom of Ayutthaya and can be dated to the 17th century. The face, particularly serene, displays the classic features of Ayutthaya sculpture: broad forehead, arched eyebrows converging to a long straight nose, heavily lowered eyes, finely drawn lips, and a meditative expression. The major interest of this head lies in the exceptional richness of its royal regalia. The crown is composed of several layered registers, with beaded tiers, floral motifs, rosettes, volutes and flamboyant finials. At the back, a broad decorative plate presents a remarkable network of diamonds, a characteristic element documented on several crowned Buddhas of Ayutthaya. The long ears are accompanied by elaborate pendants. At the top of the coiffure there remains a circular opening of origin, intended to receive a mounted summit element, today missing. The sculpture is hollow-cast in bronze using the traditional lost-wax technique. The surfaces retain a dark brown to brown-red patina, with zones of green corrosion and traces of old layers, giving the whole a depth and presence that are particularly seductive. The head originally belonged to a larger sculpture. The old separation at the neck is clearly visible and is part of the object’s material history. The provenance is particularly interesting: the piece is documented in Singapore as early as 1990, then passes into a British private collection before its later acquisition on the European art market. This early documentation favorably accompanies the stylistic and historical study of the object. A closely related head is held at the British Museum, while several examples of Ayutthaya crowned Buddhas are published in the reference works of Hiram Woodward. A crowned Ayutthaya Buddha head of this quality, with equally rich regalia and provenance documented for more than thirty years, constitutes a piece particularly attractive for a collection devoted to Buddhist art and ancient Southeast Asian sculpture. Certificate of authenticity and provenance documentation included. video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/mt3jpjit8c5qx3lvg7b5u/AJcnGIMuWCQGQC8Leb_cyDg?rlkey=98f5r9us7nhjjvx4s2wth9rtd&dl=0
Estimate:£6,803.75
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Estimate:
£6,803.75

OCT 8 | 3:00 PM

OCT 8 | 3:00 PM

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£6,795.44
An early Gandharan stone head, Indus Valley
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£308.8
Est: £386
A nice Sukhothai Period head of Buddha from Thailand
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£153.4
Est: £191.75
OCT 17 | 10:00 PM