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Expert’s Note:
Bronzes of such breathtaking size are extremely rare. Dating large-scale bronze sculptures of this magnitude is inherently challenging due to the scarcity of securely dated comparanda. Very few monumental bronzes from Asia have survived intact; many were melted down, fragmented, or remain undocumented in temple or private collections. As a result, precise attribution is often impossible without inscriptions or archaeological provenance.
That said, the tradition of casting monumental bronzes in Asia began as early as the 8th century, particularly within Buddhist and Hindu religious contexts. These sculptures, typically made for temples or ceremonial use, reflect extraordinary technical sophistication and spiritual intent.
The present lot can be easily distinguished from later or modern reproductions by its exceptional casting quality, the clearly natural and consistent patina, and above all, its profound dedication to simplicity. Stylistically, it shows a relative consistency that aligns with early traditions rather than eclectic later revivals. Most tellingly, the surface reveals none of the ornamental clutter often seen in 20th-century religious statuary. In comparison, one may consider a related group of large bronze figures with similarly aged patinas—such as a Srivijaya-style Avalokiteshvara currently housed at Wat Thai Samakkhi, a Thai temple constructed in 1939 in Mae Kasa. These examples, while impressive in scale, lack the serene restraint and sculptural clarity of the present lot.
From a technical standpoint, this bronze is most likely of a later date than the large Avalokiteshvara also offered in this sale. Its lighter weight, higher iron content (evident in the presence of rust corrosion), and the comparatively minimal attention to finishing—particularly the untreated luting lines and casting seams—support this assessment.
Ancient monumental bronze sculptures from Asia that compare in size and spiritual authority are extremely rare but do exist, including:
Shiva Nataraja
– Chola dynasty, South India, 11th–12th century
– Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
– Height c. 180 cm, weight c. 300 KG
Standing Buddhas, Bagan
– Pagan Kingdom, Burma (Myanmar), 11th–12th century
– At the cardinal points of the Swezigon Paya are four shrines, each of which houses a 4m-high bronze standing Buddha. Cast in 1102 AD, these figures are Bagan's largest surviving bronze Buddhas.
Vishnu (fragment)
– Khmer Empire, Cambodia, 11th–12th century
– National Museum of Cambodia, Phnom Penh
– The original size of this statue would have been between 5 and 6 meters.
Given this context, the present work stands among a very small number of bronzes that combine monumental scale, historical depth, and sculptural purity—characteristics that set it apart from modern and contemporary interpretations.
Southeast Asia, probably northern Thailand or Cambodia. Massively cast standing in samabhanga with the right hand raised in abhaya mudra, the left lowered in varada mudra, dressed in a loose-fitting diaphanous uttarasanga draped elegantly over his left shoulder and flaring downward in a gently undulating hemline above the dhoti. The face with a serene, meditative expression marked by heavy-lidded eyes, arched brows, aquiline nose, and full lips forming a subtle smile, flanked by elongated lobes. The hair is neatly arranged in snail-shell curls, each meticulously modeled individually, over the domed ushnisha.
Provenance: The Kienzle Family Collection, Stuttgart, Germany. Acquired between 1950 and 1985 by siblings Else (1912-2006), Reinhold (1917-2008), and Dr. Horst Kienzle (1924-2019), during their extensive travels in Asia. Subsequently inherited by Dr. Horst Kienzle and bequeathed to the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Radevormwald, Germany. Released through museum deaccession in 2024. The Kienzle siblings were avid travelers and passionate collectors of Asian and Islamic art. During their travels, the Kienzle’s sought out and explored temples, monasteries, and markets, always trying to find the best pieces wherever they went, investing large sums of money and forging lasting relationships to ensure they could acquire them. Their fervor and success in this pursuit is not only demonstrated by their collection but further recorded in correspondences between Horst Kienzle and several noted dignitaries, businesses and individuals in Nepal and Ladakh. Their collection had gained renown by the 1970s, but the Kienzle’s stopped acquiring new pieces around 1985. Almost thirty years later, the collection was moved to the Museum für Asiatische Kunst, Radevormwald, opened by Peter Hardt in 2014. Before his death in 2019, Horst Kienzle bequeathed his entire property to Peter Hardt and legally adopted him as his son, who has been using the name Peter Kienzle-Hardt ever since.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, casting irregularities, several clearly visible luting lines, traces of weathering, soil and cuprite encrustations, the undersides of the arms and other areas where rainwater has pooled with distinct areas of corrosion, the figure overall with spots of iron corrosion and few small associated losses, flaking, few fatigue cracks, the bronze overall with naturally grown verdigris and patches of turquoise-colored encrustation.
German Export License: Ausfuhrgenehmigung Nr. 132/2024, dated 25 June 2025, has been granted. A copy accompanies this lot.
Weight: approx. 400 kg
Dimensions: Height approx. 350 cm
Monumental bronze sculpture in Southeast Asia during the 19th and 20th centuries reflects the dynamic interplay between tradition, modernity, and political power, particularly in Thailand and Cambodia. In 19th-century Thailand, under the reigns of Kings Rama III and Rama V, large-scale bronzes emerged as both devotional icons and imperial statements, often situated in prominent urban and temple settings. Royal commissions, such as equestrian statues and massive Buddha images, fused classical Sukhothai and Ayutthaya aesthetics with Western casting techniques introduced through diplomatic and colonial contact.
Literature comparison:
The present statue is cast in the Mon-Dvaravati style. The Mon polity of Dvaravati, based around the Chao Phraya and Mae Klang river basins of central Thailand, was one of the earliest and most important societies in mainland Southeast Asia. Their style was bold, self-assured, recognizable, and highly influential on subsequent Thai sculpture and artistic production throughout Southeast Asia. See a silver figure of Buddha, 39.4 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1993.387.6, included in the exhibition Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, 5th to 8th Century, New York, 14 April-27 July 2014, cat. no. 120.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 21 March 2015, lot 1069
Price: USD 68,750 or approx. EUR 80,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bronze figure of Buddha, Khmer or Thai style
Expert remark: This bronze depicting the same subject but of much smaller size (73.5 cm) was previously in the collection of the famed New York dealer Robert H. Ellsworth, undated by Christie’s and offered without reserve.
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