Standing Buddha

Description

The Buddha is depicted standing with his right hand raised in abhayamudra, wearing a long, tight-fitting robe. His face, with half-open eyes painted under arched eyebrows, is framed by his ears with hanging lobes, and his slightly smiling mouth has a serene expression. Her hair is styled in small curls and raised in a bun topped with a characteristic flame. Her limbs are thin and elongated, which corresponds to the iconographic habits of this period, and presents a certain elegance.

This sculpture is dated to the Ayutthaya period. At that time the capital of the kingdom of Ayutthaya was one of the most prosperous in the world, and several foreign powers were eagerly coveting the “kingdom of Siam”. By 1700, the capital was estimated to have the largest population in the world, numbering about one million people. During this period of tranquility, Ayutthaya developed its rich cultural programme, which culminated in the highest concentration of Buddhist art, perhaps more than anywhere else in the world.

This sense of prosperity and strength of the Ayutthaya kingdom is reflected in this Buddha, which conveys majesty and inner strength simply through its delicate finery and symmetry. The overall harmonious simplicity of the figure and its abstract physiognomy finally emphasise the supreme knowledge and awareness that the crowned Buddha embodies in this form, and thus prevents the viewer from focusing on the mortality of the historical Buddha.

Provenance: Collection Dani and Anna Ghigo(by repute).