Ayutthaya Sandstone HUGE Important torso of Buddha. Painted, gilded and lacquered, 58 cm H. Massive, 62 kg.

Torso of Buddha, on Bhumisparsha Mudra gesture, more commonly known as the "subduing Mara" pose. Kingdom of Ayutthaya (1350-1767) . Carved sandstone, remains of red paint, traces of gold layer and lacquer. 58 cm Height with stand. 43 cm Heigth without stand. 62 kg of weight including stand. Condition: Good, see photos, original state. PROVENANCE: Private collection, Cambridge, Great Britain, 1980's. A large red sandstone torso of Buddha, Thailand Ayutthaya period, the broad central flap of his robe extending down to the navel, traces of black lacquer, gold and red paint remaining. Mara is a demon who attempted to lure the meditating Buddha away from the path of enlightenment. The story goes that the Buddha was meditating on his way to attaining enlightenment when Mara came to try and force or tempt him from the spiritual path - this was, in effect, Mara's "job". Mara assaulted Siddhartha Gautama with memories of his life back in his palace; his armies of lust, desire, hunger and thirst; and even attempted to lure the young man with his lovely daughters. In a way, Mara is the embodiment of that feeling of self-doubt which is present inside of all of us. But the former prince was having none of it. He extended the fingers of his right hand towards the ground and summoned the earth goddess Toranee to bear witness and help defend him from the attack. The goddess wrung her long hair, releasing a torrent of water that washed away Mara and his army. Some Buddha images in this pose also have a small statue of Toranee placed beneath them. Condition report: The two circular stone plugs on the upper chest are ancient repairs which would, originally, have been concealed by layers of lacquer and gold leaf. Notes: The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki. The piece includes authenticity certificate. The piece includes Spanish Export License.