11th Apr, 2024 11:00

TWO-DAY AUCTION: Fine Asian Art, Buddhism and Hinduism

 
Lot 189
 

189

A LARGE AND IMPORTANT BRONZE FIGURE OF A CROWNED BUDDHA, ANGKOR PERIOD, 12TH CENTURY

Sold for €91,000

including Buyer's Premium


Lot details

Khmer Empire. Finely cast standing in samapada, both hands raised in vitarka mudra revealing chakras on the palms, dressed in a sheer robe that hangs gracefully from his forearms, with a beaded pleat and tapering hems, adorned with foliate belt and jewelry, the face with almond-shaped eyes and bow-shaped lips, flanked by elongated earlobes with large pendeloque earrings, the hair arranged in neat petal-like rows pulled up into a high conical chignon and secured with an ornate crown centered by a flowerhead.

Provenance: From the collection of René Ronveaux (d. 1991), Belgium, probably acquired in the Luxembourg or Belgian trade during the 1980s, and thence by descent to Robert Ronveaux (b. 1955). A copy of a provenance statement, written and signed by Robert Ronveaux, dated 11 September 2023, confirming the above, accompanies this lot.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and encrustations, a few small nicks and dents, a fine hairline to the back, expected casting flaws. Fine malachite patina.

Weight: 10.4 kg
Dimensions: Height 55 cm (excl. base), 62 cm (incl. base)

Mounted to an associated modern base. (2)

The image of the Buddha in royal attire, with both hands raised, appeared in late Khmer art around the mid-12th century. This unusual iconographic convention derived from Mon representations of the Buddha of the Dvaravati period (7th-10th centuries). The richly ornamental figure type finds its immediate precursor in the lintel reliefs of Pimai, a 12th-century provincial Khmer center in eastern Thailand. Crowned Buddhas of this type are associated with both Angkor and the Buddhist art of Lopburi. The large size of the present lot makes this bronze extremely rare.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related smaller bronze figure of Buddha, dated mid-12th century, Angkor Wat style, 37 cm high, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number IS.34-1988. Compare a closely related smaller figure of Buddha, dated c. 1200, 29.2 cm high, in the Norton Simon Museum, accession number M.1977.30.15.S.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Paris, 13 June 2013, lot 273
Price: EUR 193,500 or approx. EUR 230,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An important bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, Khmer, Angkor Vat style, 12th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, patina, and size (52.5 cm).

 

Khmer Empire. Finely cast standing in samapada, both hands raised in vitarka mudra revealing chakras on the palms, dressed in a sheer robe that hangs gracefully from his forearms, with a beaded pleat and tapering hems, adorned with foliate belt and jewelry, the face with almond-shaped eyes and bow-shaped lips, flanked by elongated earlobes with large pendeloque earrings, the hair arranged in neat petal-like rows pulled up into a high conical chignon and secured with an ornate crown centered by a flowerhead.

Provenance: From the collection of René Ronveaux (d. 1991), Belgium, probably acquired in the Luxembourg or Belgian trade during the 1980s, and thence by descent to Robert Ronveaux (b. 1955). A copy of a provenance statement, written and signed by Robert Ronveaux, dated 11 September 2023, confirming the above, accompanies this lot.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, signs of weathering and encrustations, a few small nicks and dents, a fine hairline to the back, expected casting flaws. Fine malachite patina.

Weight: 10.4 kg
Dimensions: Height 55 cm (excl. base), 62 cm (incl. base)

Mounted to an associated modern base. (2)

The image of the Buddha in royal attire, with both hands raised, appeared in late Khmer art around the mid-12th century. This unusual iconographic convention derived from Mon representations of the Buddha of the Dvaravati period (7th-10th centuries). The richly ornamental figure type finds its immediate precursor in the lintel reliefs of Pimai, a 12th-century provincial Khmer center in eastern Thailand. Crowned Buddhas of this type are associated with both Angkor and the Buddhist art of Lopburi. The large size of the present lot makes this bronze extremely rare.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related smaller bronze figure of Buddha, dated mid-12th century, Angkor Wat style, 37 cm high, in the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number IS.34-1988. Compare a closely related smaller figure of Buddha, dated c. 1200, 29.2 cm high, in the Norton Simon Museum, accession number M.1977.30.15.S.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Paris, 13 June 2013, lot 273
Price: EUR 193,500 or approx. EUR 230,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An important bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni, Khmer, Angkor Vat style, 12th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, patina, and size (52.5 cm).

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