A VERY LARGE AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT BRONZE FIGURE... Lot n° 370

A VERY LARGE AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT BRONZE FIGURE OF A WALKING BUDDHA, SUKHOTHAI KINGDOM Thailand, 14th-15th century. Superbly cast striding with the right leg slightly raised, his left hand held in vitarka mudra and his right gracefully extended alongside his body, wearing a diaphanous sanghati elegantly draped over his left shoulder and flaring downward in a gently undulating hemline. The serene face with downcast eyes below gently arched brows, flanked by elongated earlobes, his hair arranged in tight curls over the ushnisha topped by a siraspata. Provenance: Formerly in a private collection in the United Kingdom, acquired in 1974, and thence by descent in the same family. An old typewritten paper label, partially deteriorated, with the following inscription was found inside the base of the present lot: "Buddha in walking [atti]tude. Dressed in the rob[e of] a monk. Right hand in the g[es]ture of explanation. Smiling [n]ature. [Fl]aming ushnisha on hairdress [...]. Bronze [...]. Sia[m]. [...] 1974.” Condition: Very good condition with wear commensurate with age. Few nicks, tiny dents, and signs of weathering and erosion. The heavily cast bronze with a smooth, naturally grown patina overall. The stand with signs of weathering and age. Weight: 32.6 kg (!) including wood stand Dimensions: Height 90 cm (excl. base), 104 cm (incl. base) With an associated old wood stand. (2) The 'Walking Buddha' is a striking and iconic Thai invention emerging in bronze sculpture during the 14th century. Known in Sukhothai as cankrama (walking back and forth) it refers to the pacing of Buddha during the third week after Enlightenment. When Shakyamuni renounced his princely life, he dismounted from his horse to become a peripatetic mendicant. Buddhist texts describe his constant wandering from city to city in the course of his teaching, exemplifying the important role walking had upon the Buddha's life. Translated as ‘Dawn of Happiness’, the Sukhothai kingdom's reign lasted for 200 years and is now regarded as the Thai Golden Age. Having wrested power from the Khmers, the Sukhothai rulers endeavored to cease production of Buddha images in the Khmer style and develop a new, uniquely Thai aesthetic. With the assistance of Singhalese Theravadan monks, they adhered to textual prescriptions in ancient Pali treatises (shastras). Composed as similes, among Buddha's signs of greatness (mahalakshanas), he has a nose ‘like a parrot's beak’, a chin ‘like a mango stone’, his long and sinuous arms ‘like the trunk of a young elephant’, and his elegant hands ‘like a lotus bud opening’. Their efforts yielded a beautiful Thai image informed by poetry.  Literature comparison: Sukhothai period bronze images of the walking Buddha, particularly those of large size and exceptional quality like the present example, are extremely rare. The majority of the known examples are in museums. Compare a closely related bronze figure of the Walking Buddha, dated to the 14th-15th century, in the collection of the National Museum, Bangkok. Compare a closely related bronze figure of the Walking Buddha, dated 15th-16th century, 117 cm high, in the Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, accession number 19999-01714. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 13 September 2017, lot 635 Price: USD 100,000 or approx. EUR 115,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A rare bronze figure of a Walking Buddha, Thailand, Sukhothai period, 15th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with a similarly fluid and dynamic walking pose and crisply delineated features. Note the much smaller size (43.7 cm).