Sandstone Buddha head, Kingdom of Ayutthaya

€6400,00

Thailand, Ayutthaya kingdom, XVIᵉ-XVIIᵉ century
Sandstone Buddha head most likely from a monumental statue intended to adorn a temple or public space.
The face expresses deep serenity: half-closed eyes, delicately highlighted by arched eyebrows, an aquiline nose and thin lips sketching a slight inner smile. The hair is composed of small, tightly-beaded curls forming the ushnisha. At the top, a high, flattened bun serves as a base for the symbolic flame, a manifestation of enlightenment and radiant wisdom, dispelling ignorance.
In the heart of the Ayutthaya kingdom, then rooted in Theravada Buddhism, sculpture was essentially dedicated to the representation of the Buddha. During the sacking of the capital in 1767, many statues were broken; this head probably comes from one of these majestic effigies.
H 41 cm x 24 cm x 24 cm (excluding base)
Weight: 35.9 kg
Base measures H 24.5 cm x W 20 cm x D 20 cm
Provenance: Collection Claude de Marteau
Sold with certificate of origin