A LARGE AND IMPORTANT ANDESITE HEAD OF BUDDHA
Indonesia, Central Java, 9th-10th century. Finely carved with bow-shaped mouth and downcast eyes centered by a raised urna, flanked by pendulous earlobes, the hair in snail-shell curls over the conical ushnisha.

Provenance: From the collection of an Austrian family, by repute acquired ca. 1960. Dorotheum, Vienna, December 1st, 1993, lot 423. An Austrian private collector, acquired from the above.
Condition: Extensive weathering and minor losses. Overall excellent condition.

Weight: 41.7 kilograms
Dimensions: Height 41 cm (the head) and 60.5 cm (including the base)

This remarkable head closely resembles the manifold transcendental Buddhas that adorn the Buddhist monument of Borobudur in Central Java, erected under the Sailendra Dynasty in the early years of the 9th century. The porous texture of the volcanic stone expertly fashioned into serene expressions manifest a sense of sincerity and bliss characteristic of classical Javanese sculpture. The great stupa of Borobudur is a three-dimensional mandala that maps the cosmic universe in five ascending terraces. The large-scale Buddhas at its pinnacle represent the highest levels of transcendental wisdom.

Modern base. (2)