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Thailand. Superbly cast, the face exquisitely modeled in a serene expression with heavy-lidded downcast eyes, elegantly arched brows, neatly incised slender lips forming a benevolent smile, flanked by elongated ears, the hair arranged in tight snail-shell curls over the high ushnisha surmounted by a tall flaming finial rising from a lotus blossom.
Provenance: Galerie Hardt (established in 1976), Radevormwald, Germany, before 2020. Acquired by the gallery’s founder Peter Hardt (b. 1946) during his extensive travels in Asia, the first of which occurred during a formative world tour in 1973. Throughout his storied career,Peter Kienzle-Hardtorganized countless exhibitions and participated in major international art fairs. He made many important contacts during this time and eventually met the Kienzle siblings, who shared his passion for Asian art and culture. A strong bond and deep friendship developed, ultimately leading to the creation of the Museum für Asiatische Kunst decades later in 2014. While the museum’s permanent exhibition predominantly comprised pieces from the Kienzle Family Collection, Peter Kienzle-Hardt supplemented it with objects from his own collection. Before his death in 2019, Horst Kienzle bequeathed his entire property to Peter and legally adopted him as his son, who has been using the name Peter Kienzle-Hardt ever since.
Condition:Good condition with old wear and casting irregularities. Obvious losses, few light nicks and small dents, flaking and extensive losses to gilt. The left cheek and temple with a fine fissure with few associated old small fills and minor touchups. The bronze with a fine, naturally grown, warm patina.
Weight: 22.8 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 60 cm (excl. stand), 68.5 cm(incl. stand)
Mounted on a modern metal stand. (2)
Expert’s note:
It is difficult to conceive just how massive the entire sculpture to which this monumental head originally belonged would have been. Few works of comparable size have survived, and this magnificent head is one of the largest in private hands. However, two examples currently in museums should be mentioned. The first is in the Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (see literature comparison below), and the second is in the permanent collection of the National Museum, Bangkok, though its sharper features suggest a slightly later date (see Jean Boisselier, The Heritage of Thai Sculpture, New York, 1975, no. 12, pp. 31 and 222). As can be seen in these two pieces and the present example, Thai artisans were highly skilled at bronze casting and capable of producing monumental figures in seated, standing, and even walking postures.
Buddhist art produced during the Sukhothai Kingdom (1238-1438) of North-Central Thailand displays a remarkably cohesive style. During this golden age of Thai art, the kingdom's Theravada affiliation inspired the production of serene Buddha figures. The faces are characterized by an oblong shape with full cheeks and ears flared slightly at the tips, and the heavy-lidded eyes angle slightly towards the nose to reinforce the interior nature of the gaze. Although it lasted only two centuries, the Sukhothai Kingdom gave birth to a school of art in Thailand that is considered comparable to that of the Gupta Dynasty in India in terms of both artistry and influence. The Sukothai kingdom lasted for just two centuries but was an extremely wealthy and powerful period in the history of Thailand. Artists produced some of the most sophisticated and original sculpture found in Thailand. They were the first to depict the Buddha in four different attitudes: standing; seated; walking and reclining, and the influence from this period can be seen in Thai sculpture throughout subsequent centuries. Religious texts prescribed strict definitions as to how the Buddha should be depicted and these rules were firmly adhered to while maintaining a fluidity of line and creating an additional element characterized by Griswold asa “fiery energy”.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related larger Sukhothai gilt-bronze head of Buddha, dated to the 15th century, 97.2 cm high, in the Ackland Art Museum, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, object number 91.2. Compare a closely related, slightly later gilt-bronze head of Buddha, dating from the early Ayutthaya period, 39.4 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2019.570.12.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 23 March 2007, lot 49
Price: USD 72,000 or approx. EUR 98,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Head of Buddha, copper alloy, Thailand, Sukhothai period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar facial features, expression, hairstyle, and size (62.4 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 27 January 2023, lot 8
Price: USD 403,200 or approx. EUR 621,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A monumental gilt copper alloy head of Buddha, Thailand, Sukhothai kingdom, 14th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar facial features, expression, remnants of gilt, and patina. Note the slightly larger size (66 cm).
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 17 March 2015, lot 39
Price: USD 173,000 or approx. EUR 205,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt bronze head of Buddha, Thailand, Sukkothai period, 14th/15th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar facial features, expression, and hairstyle. Note the better-preserved gilding and the smaller size (54.5 cm).
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