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

Item id: 6597

Monumental 15th Century Thai Lacquered and Gilded Sandstone Buddha Head, Over 16 Inches



A powerful and near life-monumental Thai Buddha head, dating to the 15th century and carved in sandstone before being lacquered and gilded. Measuring over 16 inches tall for the head alone—and 21 1/4 inches in total height including its mid-20th-century teak base—this imposing sculpture conveys the serene authority of a Buddha meant to be viewed from below, towering above devotees in its original temple setting.



The head retains an exquisite facial expression: calm, kind, and majestic, with a faint smile and gracefully arched brows. The ushnisha rises high with tightly modeled curls. Losses and repairs to the ears are visible, and the lacquer and gilding show centuries of maintenance and touchups; it is possible the surface was fully re-gilded long ago, though not recently. The eyes, at first believed to be modern replacements, display old pitting and may be early restorations or reclaimed originals.



The underside of the neck suggests the head was carved separately from the body, typical of large Thai stone images. The teak base dates to the 1950s–60s, stable and functional though easily upgraded if desired.



Provenance: acquired by the previous owner in New York during the 1960s from a Manhattan antiques dealer. A remarkable survivor of its scale, with an exceptional and emotive presence—truly a special example of early Thai Buddhist sculpture.