Laos – Kingdom of Lan Xang Lost-wax cast bronze, antique lacquer, traces of gilding and brown-black patina Great Buddha Śākyamuni in bronze in bhūmisparśamudrā - 41.5 cm
12
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Current bid
€ 603
Reserve price not met
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 5,500 - € 7,000
 | €603 | |
|---|---|---|
| €553 | |
| €503 | |
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Grand Buddha Śākyamuni in bronze, cast by lost-wax technique with an old lacquer and brown‑black patina, Lao Lan Xang tradition with strong Lanna/Chiang Saen influence, dated to circa 1580–1650, measuring 41.5 cm high, 27.5 cm wide and 17.5 cm deep, provenance Europe and acquired in 2022.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Important bronze sculpture representing Buddha Śākyamuni seated in bhūmisparśamudrā, the earth-touching gesture at the moment of Enlightenment. The right hand descends gracefully toward the knee while the left rests in the lap.
The Buddha is depicted seated on a substantial stepped architectural base, adorned with an incised lotus petal register. The face, serene and balanced, features half-closed eyes, an elongated nose, slightly smiling lips and long ears. The hair is composed of small tight curls and the uṣṇīṣa is crowned with a floral ornament.
The sculpture belongs to the Lan Xang Lao kingdom tradition, while preserving a strong influence from the Lanna/Chiang Saen sculpture, particularly noticeable in the treatment of the face, the coiffure and the proportions. This stylistic synthesis is characteristic of the very important artistic exchanges that linked the north of Thailand and Laos in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The sobriety of the saṃghāti, whose straight panel descends across the chest, the powerful frontal construction of the figure and the monumental base allow this work to be placed in Lao production from the late 16th or the first half of the 17th century, probably around 1580–1650.
The sculpture was made using the traditional hollow cire perdue (lost-wax) technique. The interior retains traces of the core casting as well as ancient oxidations. The surface presents a deep brown-black patina, an old lacquer layer and traces of gilding.
Despite the usual marks of its considerable age, the overall monumentality remains remarkable, reinforced by its 41.5 cm height and its weight exceeding 5 kg. The quality of the modeling, the preservation of the original base and the particularly harmonious balance of the silhouette make it a fine example of the great Buddhist statuary of the Lan Xang kingdom.
An old repair is visible on the base and the summit fleur-de-lis is a later replacement. These elements are documented and compatible with the work’s material history.
Provenance: old provenance from the French art market; acquired on the European art market in 2022.
A certificate of authenticity and detailed study accompanies the work.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zmqdyo0ye4qvo1m32v5qz/AJ2WVpplDXpNHJ06-Gw3fiE?rlkey=0wcp5tpkjcrem4wet36k0uz1v&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 TranslateImportant bronze sculpture representing Buddha Śākyamuni seated in bhūmisparśamudrā, the earth-touching gesture at the moment of Enlightenment. The right hand descends gracefully toward the knee while the left rests in the lap.
The Buddha is depicted seated on a substantial stepped architectural base, adorned with an incised lotus petal register. The face, serene and balanced, features half-closed eyes, an elongated nose, slightly smiling lips and long ears. The hair is composed of small tight curls and the uṣṇīṣa is crowned with a floral ornament.
The sculpture belongs to the Lan Xang Lao kingdom tradition, while preserving a strong influence from the Lanna/Chiang Saen sculpture, particularly noticeable in the treatment of the face, the coiffure and the proportions. This stylistic synthesis is characteristic of the very important artistic exchanges that linked the north of Thailand and Laos in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The sobriety of the saṃghāti, whose straight panel descends across the chest, the powerful frontal construction of the figure and the monumental base allow this work to be placed in Lao production from the late 16th or the first half of the 17th century, probably around 1580–1650.
The sculpture was made using the traditional hollow cire perdue (lost-wax) technique. The interior retains traces of the core casting as well as ancient oxidations. The surface presents a deep brown-black patina, an old lacquer layer and traces of gilding.
Despite the usual marks of its considerable age, the overall monumentality remains remarkable, reinforced by its 41.5 cm height and its weight exceeding 5 kg. The quality of the modeling, the preservation of the original base and the particularly harmonious balance of the silhouette make it a fine example of the great Buddhist statuary of the Lan Xang kingdom.
An old repair is visible on the base and the summit fleur-de-lis is a later replacement. These elements are documented and compatible with the work’s material history.
Provenance: old provenance from the French art market; acquired on the European art market in 2022.
A certificate of authenticity and detailed study accompanies the work.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zmqdyo0ye4qvo1m32v5qz/AJ2WVpplDXpNHJ06-Gw3fiE?rlkey=0wcp5tpkjcrem4wet36k0uz1v&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
Laos – Kingdom of Lan Xang
Century/timeframe
Fin XVIe – première moitié XVIIe siècle, vers 1580–1650
Name of object
Great Buddha Śākyamuni in bronze in bhūmisparśamudrā
Acquired from
Auction house
Year acquired
2022
Material
Lost-wax cast bronze, antique lacquer, traces of gilding and brown-black patina
Country acquired from
Europe
Condition
Good overall condition
Previous owner acquired from
Private collection
Height
41.5 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1990
Width
27.5 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
France
Depth
17.5 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.
