THAILAND, SUKHOTHAI PERIOD, 16TH CENTURY

The Sukhothai style is generally regarded as the most distinctive expression of the Thai aesthetic. Rather than creating lifelike figures, Sukhothai sculptors created sought to craft hieratic images with an otherworldly presence. It is to this end that they emphasise the exalted qualities that marked the Buddha as a predestined man of destiny. (P. Pal, The Sensuous Immortals, Los Angeles, 1978, p. 224)
The present Buddha is depicted standing in samabhanga on a hexagonal pedestal, with his right arm raised in abhayamudra, gesture of reassurance, and his left arm resting along his body. Draped in an antaravaska and a sanghati that reach his ankle, the Buddha leaves his upper body bare. His face exudes serenity, with downcast eyes, an aquiline nose and thin lips that reveal a subtle smile. A signature feature of Thai buddha sculptures, the present Buddha also possesses elongated earlobes with a thin, stretched ear piercing indicated by the shallow carving. His hairline is set low, and his curls are rendered in the characteristic snail-shell style, rising to form an usnisha surmounted by a flame. The flame-topped ushnisha, typically seen in seated Buddha images by the late 14th century, appears here in a standing figure – an adaptation likely influenced by its popularity among both artists and devotees. This stylistic continuity reflects a reverence for tradition while accentuating the distinctive Thai aesthetic.
Compare the present lot to a standing Sukhothai Buddha sold at Bonhams New York, 16 March 2021, lot 321. Further compare the facial features and headdress to a Sukhothai-period Buddha head housed at the Walter Art Museum, Baltimore (acc. no. 54.2766).