Museum Bronze head of Buddha, Ayutthaya Kingdom, Thailand, circa 1450 AD Origin: Southeast Asia, Thailand, circa 15th century AD. Ayutthaya was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767. A breathtaking bronze cast head of Buddha of the Thai Ayutthaya period. His face displays an expression of the utmost serenity with downcast eyes below gracefully arched eyebrows, a noble nose, and gently smiling full lips, clearly a visage that could inspire hours peaceful meditation. The head of the Buddha is perhaps the most significant element of the deity as it represents the immense body of knowledge and wisdom of Buddha along with the tranquil nature that emanates from its expression. A peaceful countenance with a large flame Ushnisha symbolizing the wisdom and knowledge acquired after attaining enlightenment and prominent elongated ears, a physical feature symbolic of the Buddha's time as a prince when he wore elaborate ear ornaments to demonstrate wealth and prosperity. Of course, the prince stopped wearing them when he left the palace to become an ascetic; however, his earlobes remained stretched signifying a renunciation of the material world. Furthermore, the curled, short hair of the Buddha signifies the nobility of Buddha. Beyond the multi-layered meaning embodied in the iconography of this piece, the technique executed to create the contrasting textures of the meticulously delineated coiffure comprised of countless neat curls, the flamed ushnisha, and the absolute smoothness of the contours of that face is paramount, and the artistry is simply remarkable! A rare and sublime piece of history that has survived many centuries! Custom stand. Height of the head: 4.5 inches = 11. 4 cm; Width of the head: 2.5 inches = 6.4 cm; Height of the head on a stand: 6.5 inches = 16.3 cm; Weight of the head: 14.2 oz. = 403 g; Weight of the head with a stand: 1 lb.0.8oz. = 477 g; Provenance: Ex-Splendors of the World Gallery, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA Ex-Breezewood Museum collection, Maryland, USA All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this item. Condition Report: Clearly a section from a larger figure, but what a magnificent example. Normal surface wear with fabulous patina with gild remnants. Ayutthaya Kingdom Ayutthaya (/ɑːˈjuːtəjə/; Thai: อยุธยา, Thai pronunciation: [ʔajúttʰajaː]; also spelled Ayudhya) was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese, Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spaniards, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the walls of the capital, also called Ayutthaya. In the sixteenth century, it was described by foreign traders as one of the biggest and wealthiest cities in the East. The court of King Narai (1656–88) had strong links with that of King Louis XIV of France, whose ambassadors compared the city in size and wealth to Paris. By 1550, the kingdom's vassals included some city-states in the Malay Peninsula, Sukhothai, and parts of Cambodia.[1] In foreign accounts, Ayutthaya was called Siam, but many sources say the people of Ayutthaya called themselves Tai, and their kingdom Krung Tai "The Tai country" (กรุงไท).[note 1]