Bronze Avalokiteshvara Sukhothai

• Bronze (copper alloy) representation of Avalokiteshvara, late Sukhothai style. Kingdom of Siam, 17th/18th century or earlier.
• An image of the bodhisattva of infinite compassion, rare given that Theravada Buddhism is very widely implanted in Thailand.
• Provenance: “Asie-Afrique” gallery, Claude de Marteau collection
• Sold with certificate of origin.
• Stature: H 52 cm x W 20 cm x D 9 cm
• On base H 58 CM

Although Thailand today is predominantly Theravāda Buddhism, which accounts for around 95% of religious practice, Mahāyāna Buddhism has nevertheless left a lasting imprint here. The Mahāyāna, or “Great Vehicle”, is distinguished by its emphasis on universal compassion, thebodhisattva ideal, and a conception of enlightenment oriented towards the salvation of all beings.

Over time, the institutional influence of the Mahāyāna in Thailand has diminished considerably, to the benefit of a Theravāda that has become dominant. However, certain figures from this tradition remain deeply rooted in the country’s religious history and iconography. Representations of Avalokiteśvara, bodhisattva of compassion, are one of the most significant testimonies to this, recalling a period during which mahāyāna ideas occupied a more visible place in Thai society.

This presence is also reflected in the traditional conception of royal power, according to which the King of Thailand is perceived as a bodhisattva, charged with overseeing the moral and spiritual order of the kingdom. Apart from Avalokiteśvara, the only other bodhisattva figure to which the Thai population remains enduringly attached is Maitreya, the “Buddha of the future”, the bearer of an ideal of renewal and continuity.

In this context, a bronze Avalokiteśvara sculpture in the Sukhothai style takes on its full meaning. A rarity in a predominantly Theravāda tradition, it testifies to the penetration of Mahāyāna influences into Thai Buddhist art, while adopting the formal canons specific to Sukhothai: elegance of line, expressive restraint and balance of volume. This work is thus at the crossroads of traditions, between doctrinal heritage and regional stylistic affirmation.