A BRONZE FIGURE OF A SEATED BUDDHA, LATE SUKHOTHAI PERIODThailand, 16th century. Cast as Buddha seated on a stepped base in virasana, the left hand rests gently on his lap whilst the elongated fingers of his right hand are outstretched in bhumisparsa mudra. Dressed in a monk's garb, with his feet, right shoulder and full arm exposed, wearing a long scarf that falls diagonally from the left shoulder above the navel, culminating in cascading folds. The body partly covered in gold foil.Provenance: French trade.Condition: Fine condition overall with some wear, few corroded areas, some losses here and there, small nicks, dents and casting flaws. The original lacquer coating has suffered in areas due to extensive weathering, leading to the application of several additional layers of lacquer and gilt over the centuries. The base with natural age cracks and minor nicks.Weight: 7,136 g (incl. base)Dimensions: Height 41.5 cm (incl. base)Mounted to a wood base. (2)The face with full lips delineated in a serene half smile, heavy-lidded eyes, flanked by elongated earlobes. The hair outlined with a narrow band and tied in tight, spiky curls that epass the head, surmounted by a flaming ushnisha.The bhumisparsa mudra is a gesture that echoes the Buddha’s call of the Earth to witness and attest to his achievement of maravijaya or enlightenment, thus taking his throne and vanquishing Mara's demonic retinue.Established in 1238, the Sukhothai kingdom enjoyed a brief but artistically brilliant period of independence until it acquiesced to Ayuttaya in 1583. Guided by itinerant Sinhalese Buddhist monks that frequented the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, Sukhothai sculptors returned to the ancient poetic descriptions of the mahalakshana (signs of a great man) to create a new idealized Buddha image, breaking away from Mon and Khmer idioms. The flaming ushnisha is a singlemon feature that documents this cultural exchange with Sri Lanka.Auction resultparison:Type: RelatedAuction: New York, 14 March 2016, lot 80Price: USD 23,750 or approx.EUR 28,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A copper alloy figure of buddha, Thailand, Sukhothai period, 15th/16th centuryExpert remark:pare the related pose, facial features, and robe. Note the larger size (58.4 cm).