Head of the Buddha
(Southeast Asia )
The dating of the sandstone sculpture of Ayutthaya has been a problem for scholars, and there has been a persistent belief that it should all be placed in the 17th century. Stylistically, however, it appears to belong to the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries.
An exact correspondence between stone and bronze should not be expected. Nevertheless, most of the features of this head- especially the treatment of the mouth, eyes, and eye sockets- correspond to the classic Early Ayutthaya type. The absence of a band at the edge of the curls suggests a conscious decision to follow Sukhothai.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Alexander B. Griswold, Monkton, July 1949, [presented to the Breezewood Foundation, inv. no. 760], by purchase [in Ayutthaya, Thailand]; Walters Art Museum, 1979, by gift.
Exhibitions
1995 | Unearthly Elegance: Buddhist Art from the Griswold Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
2/9/1984 | Examination | survey |
5/12/1995 | Treatment | cleaned; loss compensation; other |
Geographies
Thailand, Ayutthaya (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Alexander B. Griswold, 1979
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
25.65