Country Group: South and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam)

Item id: 10869

15/16thC Thai Quartz Crystal Buddha with its ORIGINAL 22k gold cap and finial-this is a very fine and rare example of its type. I have owned a number of these over the past four decades. This is one of the two or three finest. The quality of the sculpting is exceptional, both in the quality of the actual carving, and in the way the sculpture captures all of the aspects of a Buddha from this period, and in the way they have made it so beautiful and animated. It is carved with old tools and with simple lines, yet the face is alive. While all of that is remarkable, the thing that makes this Buddha so exceptional is that it has its original 22 carat gold cap and finial. I’ve only ever seen one of these with its original gold top in books and museums as they are always removed and sold before the Buddha makes its way to the marketplace. The farmers and others who find Buddhas like this usually are not paid very much for the Buddhas they find by local dealers, but they can always get full price for gold, so they sell the Buddha and bring the gold to a jeweler and get the current gold price and go home happy. This is sad as these 500 year old sculptures lose a most important addition. The finial is slightly dented, which is normal given the purity of the gold and the age of the object. I don’t know what else to say about this piece, but to look at the photos closely as they tell the story. Search the Internet, including the high-end auction houses, and you will find no other quartz Crystal Buddhas from this early period from Thailand that still have their original gold crowns and finials. They simply don’t exist. There are probably a few in collections, and there are certainly some in museums, but if you want to buy one today, this is your chance. ( 2.5"H x 1.5"W x .875"D ) 80g - Base: (2.5"W x 1.5"H)