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

Item id: 9604

Solid Silver 15/16thCCentury Lankan Buddha on a silver-metal base. From the well-known Chicago-based Aseldorf Collection, acquired at auction in the 1990s after the passing of the Aseldorfs, when much of their collection was dispersed through several auction houses. This is an exceptionally fine example, measuring 3.25 inches tall including its permanently attached base. At first, I assumed it was.18thC Kandy Period, because of the classic ripples incistern into the robes, but after ex tensive searching, it has become clear that the face looks nothing like Kandy style Buddha. In the masterwork reference on Sri Lankan Buddhist sculpture by Von Schroeder, there are several Divided Kingdom buddhas from the 15th century that appear quite similar, only they do not have the ripples in the robes. It is possible that these were added later, as in Sri Lankan sculpture, the detail is typically added, after casting rather than before, so it would have been relatively simple to add the ripples to the robes later on. This is especially true for a solid cast silver Buddha, as silver is so easy to work with in this way. It is also possible that it is a.Kandy (16th-19thC) era Buddha with a unique face. Either way, the quality and beauty, along with the provenance make this an absolutely outstanding Buddha. In the 30 years that I’ve owned it, I’ve not come across another like it..



DBuddhas that appear quite similar

The Buddha itself is of true museum quality—beautifully cast, finely detailed, and made of silver that is very close to pure, solid silver. A rare and elegant piece of Sri Lankan Buddhist art.

Dimensions: 3.75" x 2.2" x 1.7".