Thailand, Mon Dvaravati style, 9th/10th century

The standing figure of the Buddha with both hands raised in the gesture of vitarkamudra - the gesture of elucidation or argumentation - is an iconographic form unique to mainland Southeast Asia. The thumb and forefinger, joined at the tips, form a circle representing both perfection and eternity. The square-shaped face has nearly closed, heavily-lidded eyes, a wide nose and full lips. The hair is thick with curls that rise over the ushnisha. The monastic robes cling closely to the body, giving an impression of the flesh beneath. Rather than a rigid frontal position, the stance is more relaxed, blending Gupta tradition with regional features, such as more accentuated shoulders. The body is sensitively modeled, focusing on the purity and fluidity of form, hallmarks of Dvaravati style. Compare the proportions and rendering of the face with a tenth century bronze figure of Buddha (H.W. Woodward, The Sacred Sculpture of Thailand, Baltimore, 1997, p.70, fig.68). Both figures also portray a frontal posture, though the present work conveys more supple, fluid modeling often found in slightly earlier examples, such as an eighth/ninth century bronze figure of Buddha sold at Christie’s New York on 13 September, 2016, lot 250.