A BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, CHIENG SEN STYLE, AYUTTHAYA PERIOD, 17TH-18TH CENTURY

A BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, CHIENG SEN STYLE, AYUTTHAYA PERIOD, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve

The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005:
“No. 128, FH 1983, Thai Chieng Sen 17th-18th c.”
Gallery price: EUR 9,500 or approx.

EUR 16,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.

Thailand. Finely cast seated in virasana on a shaped plinth, his right hand lowered in bhumisparsha mudra, the left in his lap, wearing a close-fitting sanghati with a sash draped across the left shoulder that falls above the navel. His face with a benign expression marked by downcast eyes inlaid with mother-of-pearl, his bow-shaped lips forming a calm smile, flanked by long pendulous earlobes. The hair arranged in snail-shell curls over the ushnisha topped by a flame finial.

Provenance: Freddy Hansen, Copenhagen, Denmark, by 1983. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 43 years.

Freddy Hansen was a Danish dealer of Asian art and antiquities, particularly Buddhist sculpture. Based in Copenhagen, he was active from the 1950s onward and became one of Denmark's most prominent dealers in Asian art before his retirement in the early 1990s.

Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.

Important Note: For essential information on the

Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger

Condition: Good condition with expected old wear, casting irregularities, signs of weathering, few fine cracks, an old small fill to the right thigh, few nicks, light scratches, losses to the inlays with some possibly renewed. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown patina with malachite and cuprite encrustations.

Weight: 33 kg
Dimensions: Height 80 cm

This bronze figure depicts Buddha Shakyamuni in the classic maravijaya posture, symbolizing his triumph over the demon Mara, the god of desire. The finely modeled musculature and dynamic stance reflect the distinctive style of northern Thai bronze sculpture.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby's Paris, 10 June 2021, lot 238
Price: EUR 40,320 or approx.

EUR 49,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large bronze seated Buddha Thailand, Ayutthaya period, 15th-17th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting. Note the smaller size (53 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's London, 11 May 2016, lot 83
Price: GBP 30,000 or approx.

EUR 49,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A fine bronze figure of Buddha, Thailand, Chieng Sen period, 16th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar inlays, robe, and hairstyle, albeit with a different finial. Note the similar size (84 cm) and slightly earlier dating.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 22 March 2000, lot 161
Price: USD 43,700 or approx.

EUR 74,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A large bronze figure of Buddha, Northern Thailand, Chiang Saen style, 16th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting. Note the size (103 cm) and slightly earlier dating.

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