Cambodia - Khmer art Bronze / copper alloy Crowned Buddha seated in bronze. - 19.1 cm
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Current bid
€ 260
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 € 4,500 - € 6,500
 | €260 | |
|---|---|---|
 | €240 | |
| €220 | |
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Original Khmer bronze sculpture of a crowned Buddha seated in meditation, dating to the Angkor period (12th–13th century), dimensions 19.1 cm high, 14.5 cm wide and 6 cm deep, weight about 1.202 kg.
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Description from the seller
Bronze crowned Buddha — Khmer art, Angkor period, 12th–13th century
Former Darwin Freeman collection · Height 19.1 cm · Weight 1.202 kg
Remarkable bronze statuette depicting a crowned Buddha seated in meditation, attributed to Khmer art of the Angkor period, from the 12th–13th centuries.
The figure adopts a meditative posture, legs crossed in dhyāṇāsana and both hands clasped in the dhyāna mudrā gesture. At the center of the hands rests a small ritual attribute whose shape could evoke a medicinal vessel or a lotus bud. This feature allows for the possibility of a representation of Bhaiṣajyaguru, the Buddha of medicine, though this identification cannot be definitively established.
The face, with almond-shaped eyes, broad nose and full lips, expresses a serenity characteristic of Khmer Buddhist art. A monumental flared crown, decorated with relief motifs and surmounted by a tall conical headdress, frames the forehead. Long hanging earrings, an elaborated necklace and armlets complete the rich princely adornment.
This iconography of the crowned Buddha attests to a conception of the Buddha as the universal spiritual sovereign, a representation that underwent remarkable development in medieval Khmer art, notably under the influence of Buddhist traditions from Eastern India.
The treatment of the body, with a bare chest, a tapered waist and limbs harmoniously arranged, contributes to the balance of the composition. The lower garment, or sampot, shows discernible folds.
The sculpture preserves a gray-green patina with deep nuances, punctuated by greenish encrustations and areas of dark brown corrosion. These surface variations emphasize the reliefs of the crown, the ornaments and the body’s modeling. Under the base remain earthy materials compatible with vestiges of a casting core, indicating a hollow-casting technique most likely done by lost-wax casting.
Provenance
Former private collection Darwin Freeman, American collector born in Idaho in 1946. According to the published provenance, his collection was assembled between 1968 and 1971, notably during his stay in Thailand, then transferred to Austria, in Innsbruck. It was later kept within the family and transmitted by inheritance.
Institutional Comparanda
A related representation of the crowned Buddha, attributed to Khmer art in the Lopburi style and dated to the 12th–13th centuries, is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, inventory number 2019.451. The Cleveland Museum of Art also preserves a Khmer bronze from the 12th century offering an interesting parallel for the meditative posture and the object held in the hands (inv. 1942.149).
Condition
Good overall condition, considering the age suggested and the visible alterations. Surface wear, casting irregularities and areas of corrosion. The main iconographic elements remain legible.
The work is accompanied by a Mimosa study certificate presenting its stylistic and iconographic analysis, technical characteristics, published provenance and museum comparisons.
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 TranslateBronze crowned Buddha — Khmer art, Angkor period, 12th–13th century
Former Darwin Freeman collection · Height 19.1 cm · Weight 1.202 kg
Remarkable bronze statuette depicting a crowned Buddha seated in meditation, attributed to Khmer art of the Angkor period, from the 12th–13th centuries.
The figure adopts a meditative posture, legs crossed in dhyāṇāsana and both hands clasped in the dhyāna mudrā gesture. At the center of the hands rests a small ritual attribute whose shape could evoke a medicinal vessel or a lotus bud. This feature allows for the possibility of a representation of Bhaiṣajyaguru, the Buddha of medicine, though this identification cannot be definitively established.
The face, with almond-shaped eyes, broad nose and full lips, expresses a serenity characteristic of Khmer Buddhist art. A monumental flared crown, decorated with relief motifs and surmounted by a tall conical headdress, frames the forehead. Long hanging earrings, an elaborated necklace and armlets complete the rich princely adornment.
This iconography of the crowned Buddha attests to a conception of the Buddha as the universal spiritual sovereign, a representation that underwent remarkable development in medieval Khmer art, notably under the influence of Buddhist traditions from Eastern India.
The treatment of the body, with a bare chest, a tapered waist and limbs harmoniously arranged, contributes to the balance of the composition. The lower garment, or sampot, shows discernible folds.
The sculpture preserves a gray-green patina with deep nuances, punctuated by greenish encrustations and areas of dark brown corrosion. These surface variations emphasize the reliefs of the crown, the ornaments and the body’s modeling. Under the base remain earthy materials compatible with vestiges of a casting core, indicating a hollow-casting technique most likely done by lost-wax casting.
Provenance
Former private collection Darwin Freeman, American collector born in Idaho in 1946. According to the published provenance, his collection was assembled between 1968 and 1971, notably during his stay in Thailand, then transferred to Austria, in Innsbruck. It was later kept within the family and transmitted by inheritance.
Institutional Comparanda
A related representation of the crowned Buddha, attributed to Khmer art in the Lopburi style and dated to the 12th–13th centuries, is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, inventory number 2019.451. The Cleveland Museum of Art also preserves a Khmer bronze from the 12th century offering an interesting parallel for the meditative posture and the object held in the hands (inv. 1942.149).
Condition
Good overall condition, considering the age suggested and the visible alterations. Surface wear, casting irregularities and areas of corrosion. The main iconographic elements remain legible.
The work is accompanied by a Mimosa study certificate presenting its stylistic and iconographic analysis, technical characteristics, published provenance and museum comparisons.
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
Cambodia - Khmer art
Century/timeframe
Période angkorienne, XIIe–XIIIe siècle (attribué)
Name of object
Crowned Buddha seated in bronze.
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
1971
Material
Bronze / copper alloy
Country acquired from
Europe
Condition
Very good
Previous owner acquired from
Auction house
Height
19.1 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
2026
Width
14.5 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Belgium
Depth
6 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
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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.
