STATUE DE BOUDHA EN ALLIAGE DE CUIVRE DORÉ

Thaïlande, Bangkok, XIXe siècle

Footnotes

The standing figure wears a close-fitting robe embossed with a floral pattern, draped over one shoulder with the end falling across the front. Both hands are raised in a gesture of fearlessness (abhaya mudra). The serene face is softly modelled, with a gentle smile and elongated earlobes symbolising the Buddha's princely origins. His tightly curled hair rises to a form an ushnisha, representing enlightenment.

A double-hand gesture is a convention distinctive to Thai representations of the Buddha, with origins in the Mon-Dvaravati tradition. The patterned robe reflects the taste of the 19th-century Thai court for imported Indian fabrics. The design seen here of a diagonal trellis pattern with a flower in the centre can be compared to an Indian trade cloth of gold brocade probably made in Varanasi for the Thai market (V&A Museum acc. no. IS.35-1987) published John Guy, Woven Cargoes. Indian Textiles in the East, London, 1998 p. 147, pl. 200 (detail).

During the reign of King Nangklao (Rama III; r. 1824–51), Buddhism and kingship became closely connected. During this period the visual language that developed appeared to highlight the king's role as Dhammaraja—the upholder of Buddhist moral order. In sculpture and mural painting, the Buddha was often shown in ways that echoed royal imagery, thereby seeming to link the Buddha's spiritual authority with the ideal of a righteous and powerful ruler. For reference see Melody Rod-Ari, 'The Buddha as Sacred Siamese King: A Seated Buddha in the Walters Art Museum', The Journal of the Walters Art Museum, Vol. 73 (2018), pp. 25-34.

Provenance
Claude De Marteau, Brussels, 1978.
Private Collection, Belgium, acquired from the above (recorded in a 1985 insurance document);
Thence by descent.

泰國 曼谷 十九世紀 銅鎏金佛陀像

來源
克勞德‧德‧馬圖（Claude De Marteau），布魯塞爾，1978年
比利時私人收藏，購於上者（記錄於1985年保險文件）
後由家族傳承