Siam / Thailand – Kingdom of Rattanakosin A copper alloy, traditionally described as bronze. Monumental prow ornament of Garuda – gajasimha/reachisey, Bayon style - 102 cm
11
days
04
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27
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Current bid
€ 500
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 14,000 - € 16,000
 | €500 | |
|---|---|---|
| €350 | |
 | €140 | |
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Spectacular monumental bronze bow ornament from Siam’s Rattanakosin era (late 19th–early 20th century), depicting Garuda surrounded by gajasimha/reachisey figures, with a central medallion and multiple celestial figures, measuring 102 cm high, 74 cm wide, 13 cm deep, in good condition with some aging and later restorations, and acquired in 2023 from a Belgian private collection with a certificate of authenticity.
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Description from the seller
Spectacular and monumental bronze figurehead ornament depicting Garuḍa surrounded by fantastical creatures of the gajasimha/reachisey type, Siam, Kingdom of Rattanakosin, late 19th – early 20th century, circa 1880–1920.
This important work in copper alloy constitutes a particularly impressive example of late Rattanakosin Siamese historicism, when artists consciously reinterpreted ancient models drawn notably from Khmer Angkor art and the Bayon.
The composition is dominated by the large winged figure of Garuḍa, whose broadly spread wings structure the whole. On either side appear six fantastical heads mixing leonine, elephantine and aquatic features, belonging to the vocabularies of the gajasimha/reachisey, creatures related to the khmer makara tradition. In the center is occupied by a large medallion housing a crowned divine figure accompanied by secondary figures. Three celestial figures, cast separately and assembled, dominate the composition, while an elephant motif completes the lower register.
The function of the object is particularly interesting. Its large frontal surface, its essentially functional back, its relatively shallow depth compared to its height and its lower fixing system correspond to a grand ornament or prow fleur-de-lis intended for a ceremonial or prestige vessel. This type of decoration finds prototypes in the ancient Khmer naval tradition and has continued significantly in the Siamese world and Thailand’s royal barges.
The work should not, however, be confused with a medieval Angkorian production: its “Bayon style” is here a stylistic and iconographic reference, while its manufacture is attributed to the late Rattanakosin period, probably around 1880–1920.
Condition: good overall given its age, its dimensions and the extreme complexity of the openwork decoration. There are minor aged wear, oxidation and brown-ochre patinas with green to blue-green zones, small dings and occasional losses at the extremities of the ornament, visible cracks on the reverse, as well as old fillings, consolidations and traces of welding. These interventions are part of the material history of the object. The composition remains remarkably complete and highly legible. The current metallic base is modern.
Provenance: former private Belgian collection; piece probably acquired in the 1970s–1980s, then passed down. Provenance documented by a letter dated 2024.
Dimensions without base: 102 × 74 × 13 cm.
Height with base: 103.4 cm.
Weight: 50.5 kg, base included.
The piece is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and attribution detailing, based on the examination of the work, its documented provenance and extensive comparative and bibliographic documentation dedicated to bronzes, royal barges and Khmer and Siamese iconography.
Through its monumental presence, exceptional richness of decoration and rarity of its function, this work constitutes a remarkable decorative and ceremonial element of Siam in the late 19th – early 20th century.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zz4q5rczam1k7q8lzgeyj/APG6fgj58Xw5M6vwtJRRbq8?rlkey=o80xnj6ai6j4sv52k4041zafo&dl=0
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateSpectacular and monumental bronze figurehead ornament depicting Garuḍa surrounded by fantastical creatures of the gajasimha/reachisey type, Siam, Kingdom of Rattanakosin, late 19th – early 20th century, circa 1880–1920.
This important work in copper alloy constitutes a particularly impressive example of late Rattanakosin Siamese historicism, when artists consciously reinterpreted ancient models drawn notably from Khmer Angkor art and the Bayon.
The composition is dominated by the large winged figure of Garuḍa, whose broadly spread wings structure the whole. On either side appear six fantastical heads mixing leonine, elephantine and aquatic features, belonging to the vocabularies of the gajasimha/reachisey, creatures related to the khmer makara tradition. In the center is occupied by a large medallion housing a crowned divine figure accompanied by secondary figures. Three celestial figures, cast separately and assembled, dominate the composition, while an elephant motif completes the lower register.
The function of the object is particularly interesting. Its large frontal surface, its essentially functional back, its relatively shallow depth compared to its height and its lower fixing system correspond to a grand ornament or prow fleur-de-lis intended for a ceremonial or prestige vessel. This type of decoration finds prototypes in the ancient Khmer naval tradition and has continued significantly in the Siamese world and Thailand’s royal barges.
The work should not, however, be confused with a medieval Angkorian production: its “Bayon style” is here a stylistic and iconographic reference, while its manufacture is attributed to the late Rattanakosin period, probably around 1880–1920.
Condition: good overall given its age, its dimensions and the extreme complexity of the openwork decoration. There are minor aged wear, oxidation and brown-ochre patinas with green to blue-green zones, small dings and occasional losses at the extremities of the ornament, visible cracks on the reverse, as well as old fillings, consolidations and traces of welding. These interventions are part of the material history of the object. The composition remains remarkably complete and highly legible. The current metallic base is modern.
Provenance: former private Belgian collection; piece probably acquired in the 1970s–1980s, then passed down. Provenance documented by a letter dated 2024.
Dimensions without base: 102 × 74 × 13 cm.
Height with base: 103.4 cm.
Weight: 50.5 kg, base included.
The piece is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and attribution detailing, based on the examination of the work, its documented provenance and extensive comparative and bibliographic documentation dedicated to bronzes, royal barges and Khmer and Siamese iconography.
Through its monumental presence, exceptional richness of decoration and rarity of its function, this work constitutes a remarkable decorative and ceremonial element of Siam in the late 19th – early 20th century.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zz4q5rczam1k7q8lzgeyj/APG6fgj58Xw5M6vwtJRRbq8?rlkey=o80xnj6ai6j4sv52k4041zafo&dl=0
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Culture
Siam / Thailand – Kingdom of Rattanakosin
Century/timeframe
Fin du XIXe – début du XXe siècle, vers 1880–1920
Name of object
Monumental prow ornament of Garuda – gajasimha/reachisey, Bayon style
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
2023
Material
A copper alloy, traditionally described as bronze.
Country acquired from
Belgium
Condition
Good overall condition considering the age and the complexity of the work.
Previous owner acquired from
Private collection
Height
102 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1975
Width
74 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Belgium
Depth
13 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
