Head of Buddha Copper alloy Thailand, Sukhothai Period

A large head of the Buddha, the face in meditation with the almond-shaped eyes almost closed, the arched eyebrows meet and blend into the long, pointed nose, and outlined lips form a slight smile. The chin is defined and the neck fleshy, the ears have long extended, pierced earlobes, the hair is arranged in rows of snail-shell curls and rises to form the usnisha culminating in a flame finial. The bronze has a dark brown rich patination and traces of gilding are visible in the hair.

Private Asian Collection.

The Sukothai kingdom lasted for just two centuries but was an extremely wealthy and powerful period in the history of Thailand. Artists produced some of the most sophisticated and original sculpture found in Thailand for example they were the first to depict the Buddha in four different attitudes; standing, seated, walking and reclining, and the influence from this period can be seen in Thai sculpture throughout subsequent centuries. Religious texts prescribed strict definitions as to how the Buddha should be depicted and these rules were firmly adhered to while maintaining a fluidity of line and creating an additional element which Griswold characterized as a ‘fiery energy’. Compare this head to an example published Hong Kong Museum of Art, 1982, p. 142, fig. 27.