A LARGE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, MON DVARAVATI PERIOD

A LARGE SANDSTONE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, MON DVARAVATI PERIOD Thailand, 8th-9th century. Finely sculpted and sensitively carved, standing in samabhanga with his right hand raised in abhaya mudra. Wearing a diaphanous dhoti with an elegant waistline, draping from his outstretched arms. His serene face bearing a benevolent expression with full lips forming a calm smile, downcast eye beneath arched brows, and his hair arranged in neat snail-shell curls around a domed ushnisha. Provenance: Collection of Asbjoern Hansen, a retired judge for the Danish Supreme Court. acquired in Bangkok c. 1980. The private collection of John Jessen Hansen, acquired from the above. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, with extensive wear. Signs of weathering and erosion, encrustations, shallow scratches, nicks, chips, and obvious losses. Weight: 56.7 kg (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 99 cm (incl. stand), 81 cm (excl. stand) Dvaravati art came into form around the 6th century by the Mon communities as part of numerous minor kingdoms that existed in Thailand. Surrounding geography proved treacherous for travel and thus provided a fair amount of isolation for the individual kingdoms. Isolation enabled the development of a highly sophisticated and distinct Mon-Dvaravati style. Expert’s note: While there is great variation within the Mon-Dvaravati tradition, the sensitivity paid to the modeling of these facial features is in keeping with the period’s focus on the purity and fluidity of form. As expressed by Jean Boisselier in The Heritage of Thai Sculpture, 1975, page 73, “The school of Dvaravati may stand alongside the great Buddhist artistic traditions of India, so enduring were its innovations and so persuasive its influence on most of the art of Southeast Asia.” Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 17 March 2015, lot 1100 Price: USD 68,750 or approx. EUR 90,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A sandstone figure depicting Buddha, Thailand, Mon Dvaravati period, 7th-9th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and style.