A GILT LACQUERED COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF EMACIATED BUDDHA


THAILAND, RATTANAKOSIN PERIOD, 19TH CENTURYHimalayan Art Resources item no.61625 34.5 cm (13 1/2 in.) high
|泰國 拉達那哥欣時期 十九世紀 銅漆金釋迦牟尼佛苦行像This captivating sculpture depicts one of few subjects in Buddhist art to stress Shakyamuni's mortal body. Scholars debate two interpretations from Shakyamuni's hagiography. One refers to the episode where he fasted for six years before refuting the practice of extreme asceticism. The other refers to the forty-nine days he remained locked in meditation after attaining enlightenment.Before the 18th century, Emaciated Buddha images were unique to Gandhara. Thai artists of the Rattanakosin period (1782-1932) revived this dramatic Theravadan subject. Today, similar large images of Emaciated Buddha are displayed publically in Thai Buddhist temples, such as the Wat Umong in Chiang Mai, and Wat Bejamabophit in Bangkok. ProvenanceBonhams, London, 6 November 2008, lot 354