Buddha's head. Burma or Thailand, 17th century. Polychrome metal. Wooden pedestal. Lacks polychromy.

Buddha's head. Burma or Thailand, 17th century.
Polychrome metal.
Wooden pedestal.
Lacks polychromy.
Measurements: 23 x cm. high (head); 10 cm. (pedestal).
Head of Buddha in chiselled metal. We can distinguish the traditional signs in the representation of buddhas and bodhisattvas: the long lobes of the ears as a symbol of wisdom, the chignon or unisha, symbol of meditation, and the sublime serenity of the features, in allusion to a concentrated spiritual life. The elongated earlobes also allude to the large earrings worn by members of the upper classes in India, representing the concepts of greatness, nobility and wisdom.