Buddha head. Chiang Saen, northern Thailand, 16th century.

Exceptional Buddha head. Chiang Saen, northern Thailand, 16th century.
Bronze.
Emerald patina.
Good general state of preservation.
Measurements: 26 x 12,5 x 14 cm; 37 cm height with stand.

Buddha head with an exceptional work, from the school of Chiang Saen, an enclave with important Buddhist temples. It presents fine details and an execution of remarkable workmanship, managing to convey a sacred and serene aura through precise chiseling and modeling. As for the iconography, we identify numerous lakshana, symbols that identify the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. The first we see is the Ushnisha's bun hairstyle, symbol of meditation, of spiritual life. Together with the half-closed eyes, whose undulating profile is inspired by the petals of a lotus flower, the image is completed by a placid face with a sketched smile, symbol of the balance and serenity of a perfect being. The elongated earlobes allude to the large earrings worn by members of the upper classes in India at the time of Sakyamuni, and represent the concepts of greatness, nobility and wisdom.