THAILAND, SUKKOTHAI PERIOD, 14TH/15TH CENTURY

The pleasing proportions, subtle smile, and tranquil eyes of this head of Buddha make it an exceptional example of its kind. The slender eyebrows, which gently extend toward the temples under a heart-shaped hairline, border the face from a dense arrangement of curls, which rise up in a conical ushnisha to a flaming finial. The delicate facial features and the integrally cast flame finial are strongly reminiscent of the images produced in the Sukkothai kingdom, which spanned from the mid-13th to mid-15th centuries. In particular, the present example displays an oval outline of the face, a slanted flare of the eyes and a longer breadth of the lips, all of which were stylistic developments during this period. The later result is the canonization of features that are elegant and idealized, fulfilling a preoccupation with serene beauty that is manifested in bold curves and sinuous lines.

A closely related example from the Alexander B. Griswold Collection shows similar facial features, including the flowing lines of the brows, mouths, and subtly accentuated eyelids, which are rendered with sophistication and grace (see H. Woodward Jr., The Sacred Sculpture of Thailand: The Alexander B. Griswald Collection, The Walters Art Gallery, 1997, pp. 157-59, figs. 157, 274) . The radiant features of the present example are sculpted with naturalism and supreme beauty, emphasizing his introspective and directly present nature.