Great Buddha in Sukhothai style. Siam, Thailand, 16th-17th centuries

Great Buddha in Sukhothai style. Siam, Thailand, 16th-17th centuries.
Gilded bronze.
Provenance: Acquired by Count Eggert Christopher Knuth during his Great Journey to the Far East in 1862-63. In the possession of the Knuth family in Knuthenborg Castle, Denmark, to the present day. Count Knuth was also the architect of the park designed in the English landscape tradition, a space that would evolve decades later to become today's Knuthenborg Safari Park.
Label affixed to the back of the base with the Knuth family coat of arms.
In good condition, showing natural patina and with preserved areas of the original gilding.
Weight: 27.3 kg.
Measurements: 65 x 45 x 28 cm.

Exceptional Siamese Buddha figure of Sukhothai style cast in bronze with traces of the original gilding, faithful representative of the technical excellence professed by the Thai artisans in the XVI-XVII centuries. Created in Siam (Thailand), the figure is seated in dhyanasana (meditation) on a triangular base, with hands in bhumisparsa mudra, symbolizing steadfastness, perseverance and enlightenment.

The depiction shows the Buddha in his youthful, slender form, characteristic of the Sukhothai style, which emphasizes elegance, grace and serenity.

The excellent provenance of the Buddha further enhances its interest and market value: for years it was kept in the Knuthenborg Castle of the Knuth family, whose lineage gained special prominence in Danish society with Count Eggert Christopher Knuth, landowner, magistrate of the Supreme Court and prefect of the Danish Zealand Diocese. Count Knuth was also the architect of the park designed in the English landscape tradition, a space that would evolve decades later to become today's Knuthenborg Safari Park southeast of Bandholm, on the north coast of Lolland, Denmark.

The interest of this Buddha is enhanced by its good state of preservation. Approximately 500 years old, the Buddha has been preserved in remarkable condition, showing a beautiful age-related natural patina and preserved areas of the original gilding.

Buddhas of the Sukhothai style (which reached its peak between the 13th and 14th centuries, but whose influence and production continued with variants in the 16th and 17th centuries) represent the golden age of Thai art. The Sukhothai style introduced an idealized, almost ethereal human figure, moving away from the robustness of earlier styles (such as Khmer).