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

Item id: 911

Very rare bronze Buddha from the kingdom of Payao, which was located in an area of the mountains of what is now Northern Thailand. Almost all of the Buddhist sculpture created in the classic period from this area was sculpted in terracotta or stone. This is only the second Payao bronze I have managed to purchase in 20 years, and the first was quite small. Buddhas from this area have very distinctive long faces, with wonderful mouths. This particular Buddha incorporates aspects of Sri Lankan and Sukothai Buddhist art- this is evident in things such as the style of the finial, the short base, the hairline, and the proportions of the arms and legs. There are traces of an inscription on the front of the base. He has an untouched chocolate brown patina and sits 9 and 3/8 inches tall by 5.5 inches wide.