A 15TH CENTURY SUKHOTHAI BRONZE HEAD OF BUDDHA IN KAMPHAENG PHET STYLE

Bronze with shell and Lapis Lazuli inlays at the eyes. Sparse remains of lacquer gilding. Mounted to bronze and wood base
Thailand, Late Sukhothai period, Kamphaeng Phet style, 15th century

This bronze head of Buddha features Kamphaeng Phet style with sharper features, almond shaped eyes and eyebrows that form a continuous line above the bridge of the nose.

Buddha shows peaceful expression, with slender lips and sleek almond-shaped eyes framed underneath high arched eyebrows that meet at the bridge of his curved nose, flanked by pendulous earlobes with out-turned tips, and surmounted by a flattened heart-shaped hairline of tight curls arranged over the ushnisha, and with sparse remains of gilt lacquer on the back of the head.

Containing an important group of ancient cities neighboring Sukhothai, the region of Kamphaeng Phet was ideally situated for river trade with Southern Burma, the Lan Na kingdom, and the Chao Phraya basin. Later in the 16th century, Kamphaeng Phet's strategic location served to defend against Burmese attacks on the Ayutthaya kingdom.

Shape: Figural head
Dimensions: 24,5 cm (height of the head), 36 cm (total height with base)
Condition: Shows fine patina, material loss at the neckline restored, eye inlays partially missing
Provenance: Austrian private collection

Literature comparison: for two comparable Buddha head bronzes, larger in size, see Bonham's, INDIAN, HIMALAYAN & SOUTHEAST ASIAN ART, 17 Sep 2014, New York, lot 176 and Sotheby's, DEFINING TASTE, WORKS SELECTED BY DANNY KATZ, 12 NOVEMBER 2013, London, lot 20.

十五世紀甘烹碧風格素可泰青銅佛頭
泰國，素可泰晚期，甘烹碧風格，十五世紀
包漿，頸部修復処和眼睛処局部有材料缺失
奧地利私人收藏