Large Buddha Head Made Of Beige Sandstone, 44 Cm, Siam, Ayutthaya, 17th Century

This beautiful example of Thai art from the Ayutthaya period (16th–17th centuries) features an oval face radiating serenity. The fine-grained beige sandstone lends the piece an overall sense of softness.
This head, with its exceptionally pure lines, retains most of the attributes of the Sukhothai style: the face is set within a perfect oval, and the semicircular brow ridges meet at the base of a slender, elongated nose with slightly flared nostrils. All the forms are rounded and softened, as if deliberately blurred. The cheeks frame a mouth with full lips, the corners of which turn upward in a discreet smile, a reminder of the Buddha’s serene compassion for humanity. The headdress, topped by a round ushnisha, is arranged in small concentric curls.
Some unsightly traces of lacquer have been removed.  Large size: 44 cm
Formerly in a French collection
Bibliography: “La Sculpture en Thaïlande” by Jean Boisselier,