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Lot Essay
With its gently arching brows, wide and prominent nose, and full cheeks, the present figure stylistically aligns with the art of the Sukhothai kingdom. In the fifteenth century, the Ayutthaya kingdom conquered Sukhothai but rather than forcibly integrating it into the Ayutthayan empire, they installed their own bureaucracy and allowed it a degree of autonomy. The Sukhothai style continued to exert an influence on the Buddhist art of Thailand, even after its descent from power.
The slender bronze depicts the Buddha in a seated position, a serene, meditative expression on his face. His right hand faces downwards in the bhumisparsha mudra, or earth-calling position, a reference to the Buddha calling on the Earth goddess to confirm his right to enlightenment after his triumph over the demon Mara. The use of the bhumisparsha mudra is likely a result of Pala Dynasty influence (by way of Burma and North Thailand). Other influences on the distinct Sukhothai style include Sanskrit poetry and Sinhalese details, such as the flame on ushnisha, a detail used in subsequent Thai styles.
Compare the facial features and treatment of the drapery of the present work with a bronze figure of Buddha from the fifteenth century, illustrated by H. Woodward, Jr. in The Sacred Sculpture of Thailand, London, 1997, p. 170, fig. 171; one discernable difference is the hairline, which is linearly defined in the present work, in contrast to the earlier, cited example.
The slender bronze depicts the Buddha in a seated position, a serene, meditative expression on his face. His right hand faces downwards in the bhumisparsha mudra, or earth-calling position, a reference to the Buddha calling on the Earth goddess to confirm his right to enlightenment after his triumph over the demon Mara. The use of the bhumisparsha mudra is likely a result of Pala Dynasty influence (by way of Burma and North Thailand). Other influences on the distinct Sukhothai style include Sanskrit poetry and Sinhalese details, such as the flame on ushnisha, a detail used in subsequent Thai styles.
Compare the facial features and treatment of the drapery of the present work with a bronze figure of Buddha from the fifteenth century, illustrated by H. Woodward, Jr. in The Sacred Sculpture of Thailand, London, 1997, p. 170, fig. 171; one discernable difference is the hairline, which is linearly defined in the present work, in contrast to the earlier, cited example.