Important Buddha Head

Upper Central Thailand

Kamphaeng Phet style, 15th century

Bronze with traces of gilding

H34 x W16.5cm  

Provenance: Formerly in a private French collection

Mounted on a custom-made metal stand

This masterfully sculpted head of the Buddha originates from Kamphaeng Phet, a key provincial centre of the Sukhothai kingdom in 15^th century Thailand.  The head displays the classic hallmarks of this period: a gentle oval face with downcast eyes in meditative position, eyebrows that form a continuous line above the bridge of the nose and a delicate smile, the so-called “Sukhothai smile”, that conveys inner peace and enlightenment. The curve of the nose contributes to the overall graceful rhythm of the face. A narrow heart-shaped band separates forehead and the small curls.  The precise carving of the mouth gives the lips a softness that enhance the meditative expression of the face. The accentuated chin reinforces the Buddha’s calm authority.

The dense snail-shell curls of the ushnisha, rendered in high relief and once gilded, crown the head in perfect symmetry, symbolizing the Buddha’s transcendent wisdom.  The pendulous earlobes with out-turned tips frame the face in a very elegant way.

The subtle brown reddish patina, the traces of original gilding and the smooth polished surface reflect centuries of devotional use. 

References:

Compare this head to similar examples held in the Kamphaeng Phet National Museum published in Rooney, Ancient Sukhothai, Bangkok, 2008, pp. 209-11. Also see an example published in Lopetcharat, Lao Buddha: The Image and its History, Bangkok, 2000, p. 87.

Hiram W. Woodward Jr., The Art and Architecture of Thailand: From Prehistoric Times through the Thirteenth Century, Leiden, 2003.

Carol Stratton and Miriam McNair Scott, The Buddhist Sculpture of Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai, 2013.