 STUCCO HEAD OF BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 33.STUCCO HEAD OF BUDDHA.NORTHWEST PAKISTAN OR AFGHANISTAN.GANDHARA.4TH - 5TH CENTURY.H. 24 CMS, 9 ½ INS.A graceful, serene white stucco head of the Buddha, the eyes cast down in meditation and the mouth set with a gentle half-smile; the hair highlighted in black pigment and rising in waves to form a bun-shaped usnisha, with additional traces of red pigment remaining.The use of stucco and terracotta as a substitute for the grey schist of many early Gandhara sculptures led to a greater freedom of expression and innovation. Perhaps the finest of all the many examples of stucco Buddha heads is the one in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Widely published and admired, it is variously ascribed to either Hadda or Taxila - see catalogue no. 120 in Stanislaw Czuma, Kushan Sculpture: Images from early India, Cleveland Museum of Art, 1985.PROVENANCE: Private Japanese Collection. Acquired in the 1980s.
|  STUCCO HEAD OF A WOMAN AND STUCCO HEAD OF BUDDHA (SOLD) Current and Past Exhibitions
No. 16(LEFT).STUCCO HEAD OF A WOMAN.THAILAND, MON-DVARAVATI PERIOD, 7TH - 8TH CENTURY.H. 18.5 CMS, 7 ¼ INS.No. 16 (RIGHT).STUCCO HEAD OF BUDDHA.THAILAND, SUKHOTHAI PERIOD, 14TH CENTURY.H. 13 CMS, 5 INS.SOLDPROVENANCE (BOTH): Property of a private Japanese collector.
|  STUCCO HEAD OF A MONK Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 9.STUCCO HEAD OF A MONK.THAILAND.LATE AYUTTHAYA PERIOD.18TH CENTURY.H. 28 CMS, 11 INS.A remarkable, gilded and lacquered stucco head of a monk, the features vivid and life-like, with a tranquil expression and mother-of-pearl inlaid eyes.The kingdom of Ayutthaya, established by King U Thong in 1350 in the Chao Phraya River basin to the north of Bangkok was, until the Burmese attacked and burned its capital in 1767, one of the richest and most enduring sovereignties of Southeast Asia, attracting innumerable merchants and other visitors, not only from neighbouring Asian countries but also from Europe as well. This head probably comes from an attendant figure to a large seated Buddha in a temple. The Wat Koh Kaeo Suttharam in the town of Phetchaburi - an important royal fort during the Ayutthaya period – was built in 1734 and has a related bronze ensemble - see page 45 in S. Leksukhum, Temples of Gold: Seven Centuries of Thai Buddhist Paintings, London: Thames & Hudson, 2001.
|  STANDING LIMESTONE BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
11 STANDING LIMESTONE BUDDHA. CHINA, SHANDONG PROVINCE.NORTHERN QI DYNASTY, 550-557 AD.H. 127 CMS, 50 INS.An exceptional white limestone figure of Buddha standing on a lotus pedestal with his right hand raised in abhayamudra and his left lowered in varadamudra, carved in the round with a raised usnisha and elongated earlobes, the face serene with eyes cast downwards in meditation, the corners of the lips drawn up into a faint smile, the expression benevolent and tranquil; the sanghati covering both shoulders with a broad collar and descending to a double-hem, the surface of the stone with extensive pigmentation, gilding and plant residue.The celebrated Qingzhou hoard, a large group of Buddhist statues of exceptional quality, was accidentally unearthed in 1996 by workers levelling a school sports field in Qingzhou, a small city in Shandong Province on China's northeast coast. Created during a 50-year period spanning the Northern Wei (386–534), Eastern Wei (534–550) and the Northern Qi (550–577) dynasties, the sculptures illustrate the dramatic stylistic changes that occurred during that time. The unusual quantity of remaining gilding and vibrant red, green and other pigments on their surfaces provide an opportunity for the viewer to experience the impact of brightly decorated sculpture - the norm in ancient China. Note: The stone colour, patination, plant residue and pigments are identical on both the main figure and the lotus pedestal; evidence that both parts of the sculpture belong together. There are also extensive traces of a painted monk’s robe on both the front and back of this sculpture.For a similar example from the Qingzhou horde, please see no. 17 in the exhibition catalogue for Royal Academy of Arts, Return of the Buddha: The Qingzhou Discoveries, 2002. Provenance: Private Scottish collection.
|  STANDING BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
22 STANDING BUDDHA.NORTHWEST PAKISTAN .PROBABLY FROM THE SAHRI BAHLOL -TAKHT I BAHI AREA .GANDHARA.2ND - 3RD CENTURY AD.H. 66 CMS, 26 INS.An exquisitely sculpted grey schist figure of Buddha standing with his legs slightly apart upon a pedestal decorated with lotuses; his right hand raised in abhayamudra and the left holding a fold of his robe, the hair emanating in symmetrical waves from a point above the forehead, the face tranquil with a beatific smile, a circular nimbus behind. Large, frontal Buddha images like this are modelled upon Greco-Roman ideals and were placed in shrines, niches and courtyards of monasteries (viharas). For examples of similar standing Buddhas with lotus-decorated pedestals, please see nos. 201, 219, 221 and 222 in Isao Kurita, Gandharan Art II: The Buddha’s Life Story, Tokyo: Nigensha publishing, 2003.
|  STANDING BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
5 STANDING BUDDHA.THAILAND.AYUTTHAYA PERIOD.16TH - 17TH CENTURY.H. 130 CMS, 51 INS. A magnificent carved, lacquered and gilded wooden figure of Buddha, his face placid and reflective beneath a domed chignon rising to the remains of a flame finial; his arms extended to hold an alms bowl and his sanghati flaring and covering both shoulders with a broad belt and a central fold between the legs, with an extensive covering of gilding and black lacquer throughout.This blissful, perfectly proportioned figure was sculpted during the middle part of Thailand’s Ayutthaya kingdom. For a brief history of Ayutthaya please see the entry for catalogue no. 16.For a similar large wooden figure in the renowned Jim Thompson collection, please see plate no. 71 in W. Warren and B. Brake, The House on the Klong: The Bangkok Home and Asian Art Collection of James Thompson, New York and Tokyo: Walker/Weatherhill, 1968.
|  STANDING BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 28.STANDING BUDDHA.LAOS, FROM THE VICINITY OF LUANG PRABANG.SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY.H. (INCLUDING FINIAL) 95 CMS, 37 ½ INS A remarkable, carved and gilded wood figure of the Buddha, standing in double abhayamudra on a square pedestal, the face plump and benevolent beneath a raised chignon rising to a tall flame finial; the thin sanghati covering both shoulders and secured by a broad belt and a central fold between the legs.For more on Lao Buddhas, see catalogue nos. 4 to 8.
|  STANDING BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 30.STANDING BUDDHA.LAOS, FROM THE VICINITY OF LUANG PRABANG.SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY.H. (EXCLUDING MODERN PLINTH) 151 CMS, 59 ½ INS .A carved, gilded and lacquered wood figure of Buddha on a flat square pedestal with both hands raised in abhaymudra, his raised usnisha topped by a flame finial, the eyes half closed and the face serene, wearing an ankle length sanghati with an elaborate belt and central pleat, a lotus motif at his navel. For more information on this type, please refer to the entry for catalogue nos. 4 to 8. For a related example from Vientiane, please see page 244 in S. Lopetcharat, Lao Buddha: The Image and Its History, Bangkok: Siam International Book Company, 2000.Note: The painted base is modern.
|  STANDING BUDDHA
STANDING BUDDHA.THAILAND.BANGKOK STYLE, RATANAKOSIN PERIOD, 19TH CENTURY.H. (Overall) 158 CMS, 62 ½ INS .An intricately cast gilded bronze figure of Buddha, standing on an octagonal stepped pedestal with both hands raised in abhayamudra (the gesture of ‘dispelling fear’), extensively jewelled and decorated with glass inlay, the earlobes long with upturned flourishes, the face meditative and serene beneath a removable tiered diadem terminating in a tapering finial.For a related example from the Bangkok National Museum see fig. 78 in Rita Ringis (ed.), Treasures from the National Museum, Bangkok, Bangkok: National Museum Volunteers Group, 1995. For a second example from the Prasart Museum, Bangkok, see page 181 in S. Van Beek and L. Tettoni, The Arts Of Thailand, Hong Kong: Periplus Editions, 2000. Provenance: Private German collection. Purchased from Galerie L. Hartl Klassische Asiatika, Munich.
|  STANDING BUDDHA Current and Past Exhibitions
Catalogue no. 16.STANDING BUDDHA.LAOS. FROM THE VICINITY OF VIENTIANE.LATE 18TH - EARLY 19TH CENTURY.H. (INCLUDING FINIAL) 208 CMS, 82 INS.An immensely tall and lithe, gilded and lacquered teakwood figure of a standing Buddha atop a square pedestal, the raised smooth usnisha topped by a flame finial, the eyes inlaid with mother of pearl and half-closed in meditation, the face set with a serene expression; both arms pendant by his sides in the ‘calling for rain’ posture, wearing a long flaring dhoti with a centre pleat and secured with a plain belt. Laotian sculpture is rare, especially when it is sculpted in friable materials like wood, which often falls victim to humidity or to insects. The Laotian kingdom of Lan Xang or Lan Chang was established during the 14th century and ruled by Thais. Its northern capital of Luang Prabang was subjected to cultural influences from the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, while its southern capital, Vientiane, absorbed Khmer and Ayutthaya (Thai) motifs. For a related example please see fig. 398 in M. Girard-Geslan et al, Art of Southeast Asia, New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc, 1998.
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