A VERY LARGE (117 CM HIGH) AND IMPRESSIVE GILT-BRONZE FIGURE OF BUDDHA, LATE AYUTTHAYA TO EARLY RATTANAKOSIN PERIOD
This lot is a museum deaccession and is therefore offered without reserve

Thailand, 17th to 18th century. Heavily cast, standing in samabhanga atop a separately cast lotus pedestal, holding both hands in abhaya mudra. Wearing diaphanous monastic robes secured at the waist by a belt. His serene face with heavy-lidded downcast eyes, thin lips forming a calm smile, elegantly arched brows, and his hair arranged in pointed curls around a high ushnisha. The base cast with a ring.

Provenance: Galerie Hardt (established in 1976), Radevormwald, Germany, before 2020. Acquired by the gallery’s founder Peter Hardt (b. 1946) during his extensive travels in Asia, the first of which occurred during a formative world tour in 1973. Throughout his storied career, Peter Kienzle-Hardt organized countless exhibitions and participated in major international art fairs. He made many important contacts during this time and eventually met the Kienzle siblings, who shared his passion for Asian art and culture. A strong bond and deep friendship developed, ultimately leading to the creation of the Museum für Asiatische Kunst decades later in 2014. While the museum’s permanent exhibition predominantly comprised pieces from the Kienzle Family Collection, Peter Kienzle-Hardt supplemented it with objects from his own collection. Before his death in 2019, Horst Kienzle bequeathed his entire property to Peter and legally adopted him as his son, who has been using the name Peter Kienzle-Hardt ever since.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear and casting irregularities. Tiny nicks and dents, signs of weathering, extensive flaking to the gilt, casting fishes and a loss to the finial. A rich, naturally-grown, smooth patina, and areas of malachite encrustations.

Weight: 26.8 kg 
Dimensions: Height 117 cm

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s London, 11 May 2016, lot 91
Price: GBP 12,500 or approx. EUR 22,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt-bronze figure of Buddha, Thailand, Ayutthaya period, 17th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, and gilding, with similar robe, facial features, and expression. Note the smaller size (104 cm) and inlaid eyes.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s Melbourne, 1 May 2007, lot 83
Price: AUD 14,400 or approx. EUR 13,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A gilt bronze standing Buddha, Thai, late Ayuthya period, early 18th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, and gilding, with similar robe, facial features, and expression. Note the smaller size (98 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s Amsterdam, 21 November 2007, lot 434
Price: EUR 13,450 or approx. EUR 20,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A Thai, Ayutthaya style, gilt-and black-lacquered bronze figure of Buddha Shakyamuni
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of casting, and gilding, with similar robe, facial features, and expression. Note the larger size (161 cm).