AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE BRONZE FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA, PROBABLY FROM THE 'PRAKHON CHAI HOARD'
AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE BRONZE FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA, PROBABLY FROM THE 'PRAKHON CHAI HOARD', PRE-ANGKOR, 8TH-9TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2012:
“No. 700, Buddha Shakyamuni (Prakhon Chai) 9th c. Bronze, H.: 27.5 cm, LA 1982 ex Wolff NY”
Gallery price: EUR 92,000 or approx.
EUR 130,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
Northeastern Thailand, Buriram province, 8th-9th century. Superbly cast, the Buddha is seated in ardha padmasana on a rectangular pedestal, the hands resting on the knees, dressed in a short sampot, secured by a belt, the face with a serene expression marked by delicately outlined features such as the almond-shaped eyes and full lips forming a gentle smile, the brow minutely incised, flanked by long pendulous ears, the exquisitely modeled hair combed into a tall jatamakuta with tiers of looped curls piled elegantly.
Provenance: William Hirschler Wolff, New York, by 1982. Collection of Leo Albrecht, Denmark, acquired from the above. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above before 2005. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for at least 21 years.
William Hirschler Wolff (1906-1991) was an influential New York dealer of Asian antiquities, active from at least 1959 until his retirement in 1990, when he was considered by academics, museum curators, and leading collectors to be the foremost dealer in Asian art and antiques in the United States. Over three decades, Wolff placed important works with major American museums and private collectors, including John D. Rockefeller III, Avery Brundage, Arthur M. Sackler, and Norton Simon. Thomas Hoving, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, described him as “an enthusiastic and witty dealer, a man of supreme self-confidence, who has that rare ability to assess quality in both delicate and monumental pieces.”
Leo Albrecht was a German-born publisher and literary agent who established himself in Copenhagen after the Second World War. In 1951 he founded his agency, which played an important role in expanding the international market for Scandinavian literature. He began collecting art in the late 1950s, with a particular focus on Asian sculpture. In Copenhagen, he spent much of his time visiting antique dealers, museums, and exhibitions. He developed especially close ties with Ole Haslund, Lau Sunde, and Freddy Hansen, among the most prominent dealers in their fields. He also traveled frequently to London, where he became close friends with Adrian Maynard. Jorgen Ruben first met Albrecht in 1984, and they quickly became close friends. Ruben later described him as a gentleman and “the greatest collector of Asian art in Denmark.” He acquired Albrecht's entire Asian sculpture collection when Albrecht moved back to Germany after selling his publishing company. The two remained close, with Albrecht continuing to visit Denmark each summer and staying at the Ruben family's beach house north of Copenhagen.
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, commensurate with age. Expected wear, casting irregularities, obvious losses, encrustations, areas of corrosion, old repairs, cracks, nicks, scratches. The interior fitted with a metal rod for mounting. The bronze displays a rich, naturally grown patina with thick malachite encrustations.
Weight: 3.5 kg (excl. stand), 4.3 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 27 cm (excl. stand), 30.1 cm (incl. stand)
With an associated stand. (2)
As a center of Buddhist practice, primarily Mahayana Buddhism, the Prakhon Chai region produced figures of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas that are depicted as ascetics; the figures are clad in the traditional Khmer and Thai sampot secured with a simple cord, and are otherwise unadorned, a departure from other Khmer styles in which bodhisattvas wear jewelry. As unifying stylistic features, the bodies of Prakhon Chai figures are strikingly slender and graceful, and the fingers of the four hands curl inwards towards the palm, as if the bodhisattva were delicately plucking flowers. The elaborate looping coiffure in the present example is also distinctive to the region, contrasting with the wild jatamukutas of Shaiva ascetics as they are depicted in India.
The so-called “Prakhon Chai Hoard” was accidentally discovered by local villagers in 1964 at Prasat Hin Khao Plai Bat II, a tenth-century Khmer brick temple in Buriram Province. Concealed in a stone-covered pit within the temple precinct, the bronzes were likely buried during the site's rededication for Brahmanical use. Some bear traces of cloth wrappings, evidence of careful ritual deposition. Initially misattributed to Prakhon Chai district, the cache in fact originated from nearby Lahan Sai, though the name has endured. Numbering at least fifty-three known examples and perhaps two to three hundred in total, it is possibly the largest and most important cache of Buddhist bronzes ever discovered in mainland Southeast Asia.
These sculptures embody a fusion of Mon-Dvaravati, Khmer, and pre-Angkorian traditions, yet reveal a strikingly local vision. Their slender bodies, serene faces, and restrained drapery convey a spiritual clarity unique to this region. Distinctive features, such as the carefully plaited coiffure of bronze figures, distinguish them from their Indian prototypes and mark them as products of the Korat Plateau. The predominance of Avalokiteshvara and Maitreya over images of the Buddha reflects the strength of Mahayana devotion during this period of Southeast Asian history, making the present example of a seated Buddha even more rare.
The hoard was first systematically studied by Jean Boisselier in 1967, who emphasized both the stylistic unity of the bronzes and their pivotal role in understanding the development of art in the Korat Plateau. His chronology has since been refined through comparisons with sculptures from Ban Thahnot, Ban Fai, and pre-Angkorian Khmer monuments of the eighth century. Their high tin content, which gives the metal a luminous silvery sheen, only enhances their elegance. Today the Prakhon Chai bronzes remain essential witnesses to the religious and artistic ferment of early Southeast Asia, among the most evocative and enduring Buddhist images ever produced.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 5 November 2007, lot 305
Mid-Estimate: GBP 27,500 or approx.
EUR 53,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare Thai Prakhon Chai bronze figure of Avalokitesvara, late 8th/9th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar face features and pose. Note the size (18 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE BRONZE FIGURE OF A BODHISATTVA, PROBABLY FROM THE 'PRAKHON CHAI HOARD', PRE-ANGKOR, 8TH-9TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2012:
“No. 700, Buddha Shakyamuni (Prakhon Chai) 9th c. Bronze, H.: 27.5 cm, LA 1982 ex Wolff NY”
Gallery price: EUR 92,000 or approx.
EUR 130,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
Northeastern Thailand, Buriram province, 8th-9th century. Superbly cast, the Buddha is seated in ardha padmasana on a rectangular pedestal, the hands resting on the knees, dressed in a short sampot, secured by a belt, the face with a serene expression marked by delicately outlined features such as the almond-shaped eyes and full lips forming a gentle smile, the brow minutely incised, flanked by long pendulous ears, the exquisitely modeled hair combed into a tall jatamakuta with tiers of looped curls piled elegantly.
Provenance: William Hirschler Wolff, New York, by 1982. Collection of Leo Albrecht, Denmark, acquired from the above. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above before 2005. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for at least 21 years.
William Hirschler Wolff (1906-1991) was an influential New York dealer of Asian antiquities, active from at least 1959 until his retirement in 1990, when he was considered by academics, museum curators, and leading collectors to be the foremost dealer in Asian art and antiques in the United States. Over three decades, Wolff placed important works with major American museums and private collectors, including John D. Rockefeller III, Avery Brundage, Arthur M. Sackler, and Norton Simon. Thomas Hoving, former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, described him as “an enthusiastic and witty dealer, a man of supreme self-confidence, who has that rare ability to assess quality in both delicate and monumental pieces.”
Leo Albrecht was a German-born publisher and literary agent who established himself in Copenhagen after the Second World War. In 1951 he founded his agency, which played an important role in expanding the international market for Scandinavian literature. He began collecting art in the late 1950s, with a particular focus on Asian sculpture. In Copenhagen, he spent much of his time visiting antique dealers, museums, and exhibitions. He developed especially close ties with Ole Haslund, Lau Sunde, and Freddy Hansen, among the most prominent dealers in their fields. He also traveled frequently to London, where he became close friends with Adrian Maynard. Jorgen Ruben first met Albrecht in 1984, and they quickly became close friends. Ruben later described him as a gentleman and “the greatest collector of Asian art in Denmark.” He acquired Albrecht's entire Asian sculpture collection when Albrecht moved back to Germany after selling his publishing company. The two remained close, with Albrecht continuing to visit Denmark each summer and staying at the Ruben family's beach house north of Copenhagen.
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, commensurate with age. Expected wear, casting irregularities, obvious losses, encrustations, areas of corrosion, old repairs, cracks, nicks, scratches. The interior fitted with a metal rod for mounting. The bronze displays a rich, naturally grown patina with thick malachite encrustations.
Weight: 3.5 kg (excl. stand), 4.3 kg (incl. stand)
Dimensions: Height 27 cm (excl. stand), 30.1 cm (incl. stand)
With an associated stand. (2)
As a center of Buddhist practice, primarily Mahayana Buddhism, the Prakhon Chai region produced figures of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas that are depicted as ascetics; the figures are clad in the traditional Khmer and Thai sampot secured with a simple cord, and are otherwise unadorned, a departure from other Khmer styles in which bodhisattvas wear jewelry. As unifying stylistic features, the bodies of Prakhon Chai figures are strikingly slender and graceful, and the fingers of the four hands curl inwards towards the palm, as if the bodhisattva were delicately plucking flowers. The elaborate looping coiffure in the present example is also distinctive to the region, contrasting with the wild jatamukutas of Shaiva ascetics as they are depicted in India.
The so-called “Prakhon Chai Hoard” was accidentally discovered by local villagers in 1964 at Prasat Hin Khao Plai Bat II, a tenth-century Khmer brick temple in Buriram Province. Concealed in a stone-covered pit within the temple precinct, the bronzes were likely buried during the site's rededication for Brahmanical use. Some bear traces of cloth wrappings, evidence of careful ritual deposition. Initially misattributed to Prakhon Chai district, the cache in fact originated from nearby Lahan Sai, though the name has endured. Numbering at least fifty-three known examples and perhaps two to three hundred in total, it is possibly the largest and most important cache of Buddhist bronzes ever discovered in mainland Southeast Asia.
These sculptures embody a fusion of Mon-Dvaravati, Khmer, and pre-Angkorian traditions, yet reveal a strikingly local vision. Their slender bodies, serene faces, and restrained drapery convey a spiritual clarity unique to this region. Distinctive features, such as the carefully plaited coiffure of bronze figures, distinguish them from their Indian prototypes and mark them as products of the Korat Plateau. The predominance of Avalokiteshvara and Maitreya over images of the Buddha reflects the strength of Mahayana devotion during this period of Southeast Asian history, making the present example of a seated Buddha even more rare.
The hoard was first systematically studied by Jean Boisselier in 1967, who emphasized both the stylistic unity of the bronzes and their pivotal role in understanding the development of art in the Korat Plateau. His chronology has since been refined through comparisons with sculptures from Ban Thahnot, Ban Fai, and pre-Angkorian Khmer monuments of the eighth century. Their high tin content, which gives the metal a luminous silvery sheen, only enhances their elegance. Today the Prakhon Chai bronzes remain essential witnesses to the religious and artistic ferment of early Southeast Asia, among the most evocative and enduring Buddhist images ever produced.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 5 November 2007, lot 305
Mid-Estimate: GBP 27,500 or approx.
EUR 53,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A rare Thai Prakhon Chai bronze figure of Avalokitesvara, late 8th/9th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of casting with similar face features and pose. Note the size (18 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
