Ancient Kingdom Of Siam, 18th - 19th Century, Buddha In Abhaya Mudra, Lacquered And Gilded Wood

Origin: Ancient Kingdom of Siam (present-day Thailand)
Antiquity: XVIIIth - XIXth century
Material: Wood
Off stand: 24 cm
Condition: Good state of conservation
Provenance: Former private collection

Former Buddha in lacquered and gilded wood in Abhaya Mudra position (no fear ). He is shown standing, legs tight, arms glued to the side, hands at chest height, palms facing outward. He is dressed in the uttarasanga monastic robe covering him up to calf height, the habit being surrounded by a fabric of which a side falls straight down from the navel. Unlike the whole piece, the face has a rough, untinted surface, thus accentuating the softness. It is characterized by raised eyebrows in a semicircle joining above the nose. The latter is framed by eyes with half-closed eyelids and overlooks a mouth with a pronounced smile. The hairstyle, delimited by a fine border, presents the classic cranial protuberance (usnisa) from which springs a flamed ornament (rasmi), symbol of the spiritual radiance of the Blessed One, borrowed from Sinhalese images. The ears, with the lobes distended by the weight of the ornaments, symbolize the royal origin of the historic Buddha, the pavilion of the latter presenting a shape of snail shells.