A BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, PRE-ANGKOR PERIOD Style of Angkor Borei, Ta Keo region of the Mekong Delta, 7th century. Seated in dhyanasana on a rectangular plinth, the hands in dhyanamudra, the face with downcast eyes below gently arched eyebrows, flanked by two elongated ears, the hair in tight curls, surmounted by an ushnisha.

Provenance: From the collection of an American gentleman. Galerie Zacke, 11 May 2019, lot 311, sold for EUR 8,216 or EUR 8,700 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Michael Phillips, acquired from the above. Michael Phillips (born 1943) is an Academy Award-winning film producer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, his parents were Lawrence and Shirley Phillips, noted New York dealers in Asian fine arts, selling to the Met, the LACMA, the Chicago Art Institute, and the British Museum among others. Michael Phillips is a collector of Asian art himself, particularly Indian, Southeast Asian, and Himalayan sculpture. His most important films include The Sting (winning the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1973), Taxi Driver (winning the Palme D'Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival), and Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Condition: Extensive wear, some losses and cracks, traces of erosion, minor nicks. Very good condition considering the high age of this statue. Fine naturally grown patina.

Weight: 521.9 g
Dimensions: Height 17.4 cm (excl. base), 18.5 cm (incl. base)

With a fitted modern wood base. (2)

Angkor Borei was an important early center of Buddhism and Buddhist temple construction before the establishment of the Khmer Empire. The present figure is characteristic of Angkor Borei sculpture, as seen in the subtle protuberance of the ushnisha and the large snail-shell curls. Sculpture from this early period exhibits the naturalism and grace that echoes the treatment of the body in Gupta-period India, where ornamentation is minimized to emphasize the smooth volume of the form.

Expert's note: The raw material of this sculpture is copper ore with iron oxide veins, which has developed an extensive malachite and azurite patina over the past 1400 years. A closely related piece from the same group was tested at the Ciram Laboratory in France in 2018 to confirm the material. According to the previous owner, the piece was originally found in the Ta Keo region of the Mekong Delta.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related bronze figure of Buddha, dated 7^th-8^th century, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1981.462.2.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Remotely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 13 September 2016, lot 265
Price: USD 37,500 or approx. EUR 45,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Sandstone Figure of a Seated Buddha, Pre-Angkor period, Angkor Borei style, 7th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related pose and facial features. Note the different material and significantly larger size (48.2 cm). 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.