Buddha Head Ayutthaya, Thailand, 17th - 18th Century

Head of Buddha adorned with a crown with finely incised plant decoration. The stretched, half-closed eyes and the closed mouth with delicately drawn lips evoke spiritual awakening and the radiance of his teaching. Bronze with patina of time, losses and small chips that do not affect the reading of the work. Ayutthaya, Thailand, 17th - 18th century Dimensions: 4.4 x 3 cm With base: 5.8 cm Provenance: former Libert sale, Paris, 1990s This head illustrates the refined Buddhist art of the Ayutthaya period, when Theravada Buddhism played a central role in political and spiritual life. Representations of the Buddha, such as this bronze head, were venerated in temples or domestic altars, symbolizing spiritual nobility and the spread of his teachings. A precious testimony to the harmony between spirituality and art in Southeast Asia.