A BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, MON DVARAVATI PERIOD Thailand, 8th-10th century. Seated in padmasana atop a curved base, with both hands lowered in dhyanmudra, the sanghati loosely draped across the broad shoulders, the serene face with downcast eyes and broad mouth, the hair arranged in tight curls surmounted by a domed ushnisha. Provenance: From the private collection of Darwin Freeman, collected between 1968-1971, and thence by descent within the same family. Born 1946 in Idaho, USA, Darwin Freeman was a member of the armed forces and later became an avid collector. He met his wife in the mid-1960s, and the pair later relocated to her hometown of Innsbruck, Austria. In 1967, Freeman was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Germany and Thailand. While he was stationed at the Embassy in Bangkok, between 1969 and 1971, he actively began engaging in the exploration and collection of ancient bronzes and other works of art. Upon completing his duty, Freeman arranged for his collection to be shipped to Austria, where it remained in storage until this day. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Casting irregularities, rubbing, nicks, signs of weathering, erosion, corrosion, and tiny losses. The bronze with a naturally grown patina with vibrant malachite encrustations. Weight: 550.1 g Dimensions: Height 11.4 cm Literature Comparison: Compare a closely related Dvaravati bronze figure of Buddha, dated ca. 700, 10 cm high, in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession number IS.136-1999. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 17 September 1999, lot 243 Price: USD 6,900 or approx. EUR 12,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A bronze figure of Buddha, Thailand, Mon-dvaravati, 9th century Expert remark: Compare the closely related modelling and similar form, pose, sanghati draped over broad shoulders pooling at the wrists, and size (10 cm).