A LARGE GILT-LACQUERED BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, RATTANAKOSIN KINGDOMThailand, reign of King Rama III, 1824-1851. Finely cast seated in virasana with his right hand lowered in bhumisparsha mudra and his left held in karana mudra above his lap, wearing a close-fitting sanghati densely decorated with diapered floral designs and embellished in ‘gesso’ with floral roundels (pha lai) conveying a lavishly embroidered cloth. His serene face with heavy-lidded eyes below a raised, double-arched brow, the bow-shaped lips flanked by elongated earlobes. The hair arranged in tight curls.The distinct ‘double’ eyebrows are a rare detail.Provenance: French trade.Condition: Good condition with some wear, small nicks, light scratches, minor losses, extensive wear and some flaking to gilt. Consistent naturally grown patina overall.Dimensions: Height 57 cmBuddha images wearing such patterned robes, a symbol of royalty, were introduced during the reign of King Rama III (reigned 1824-1851) and disappeared thereafter. It is thus most likely that this majestic sculpture was one such royalmission produced under King Rama III’s reign.Literatureparison:See further examples of Rattanakosin-period gilt-lacquer bronze Buddha images discussed in Rod-Ari, The Buddha as Sacred Siamese King: Brocaded Buddhas of the Third Reign, The Walters Art Museum Journal, vol. 73, 2018, figs. 1-5.