A remarkable pair of Thai Ayutthaya period bronze crowned Buddha mounted on wood display stands. Thailand. 17th/18th Century
Dimensions: (approx)
Head: 15" High, 7.75" Wide, 6" Deep (tallest)
Overall: tbd
Provenance / Acquisition:
Acquired from the highly reputable auction house Heritage Auctions, Dallas, Texas.
2024 March Fine & Decorative Asian Art Signature Catalog Auction #8155 Lot #78357
Condition Report:
Attractive pair with beautifully aged patina, condition commensurate of age, use, and exposure. Scattered areas of desirable verdigris green patina and oxidation throughout to each. Minor loss to front shell point of one example. Small holes scattered throughout and scews/nails through each fixing both examples to wooden bases. Both well preserved and present superbly
History:
The first Crowned Buddha images or Jambupati Buddha statues are known to have been originated from the Pyu, where the Indian influence of Buddhist arts and non-Theravada Buddhism was extremely felt in those days. There may have been various background stories behind the crowned Buddha statues in the course of history but one of the most popular stories goes by the legend of Jambupati. This particular legend is not known in the home of Buddhism India, however the crowned Buddha statues have been attached to the name Jambupati as the Buddha is believed to have humbled a boastful and arrogant king Jambupati. The story goes on about how the Buddha transformed himself into a mighty king with a crown and jewelry and set himself a majestic yet incomparable palace. Seeing this, the king accepted the great ability of the Buddha and submitted himself to the Dharma and became a Buddhist monk. This particular story has gained a lot of popularity and stood the test of time in Burma as the number of Crowned Buddha statues in Burma is considerably great in amount.
There are also other versions of the background story of crowned statues...
Category
17th Century Thai Folk Art Antique Wood Metalwork