Thai Bronze Buddha Head with Removable Ushnisha Cap, c. 1950–1980

A Thai Buddha head cast as a bust

This bronze Buddha head was cast in Thailand as a free-standing bust during the twentieth century, around 1950–1980. The neck ends in a finished, slightly flaring rim, which shows it was made this way from the start rather than broken from a body; it is not a fragment of a statue. The head stands 37 cm high and weighs 3.8 kg. Face and ears have been polished back to red copper, while the hair has been left dark.

The face of the Buddha

The features follow a Thai workshop tradition: one continuous arch for the brows, downcast eyes and long earlobes. Between the brows sits the urna, here an empty recess. The hair is built up from spiral curls. Above it rises the ushnisha, the cranial protuberance that stands for the Buddha's enlightened wisdom. Here it takes the form of a separate cap with curls and a smooth, drop-shaped finial. The finial is neither a Thai flame with an opening nor a Burmese ushnisha knob.

Twentieth-century casting

The head is hollow, cast by the lost-wax method. The curls belong to the casting itself and were not applied afterwards. The ushnisha cap was cast separately and lifts off, leaving a visible seam on the hair. The contrast between the polished copper face and the dark hair, with turquoise deposits on the neck rim and in patches in the hair, points to a cleaned twentieth-century foundry piece rather than an undisturbed old patina. It is not a nineteenth-century piece, not a temple fragment and not historical Sukhothai.

Description

Downcast eyes, a continuous brow arch, an empty urna recess and elongated earlobes. The hair is made up of spiral curls. The ushnisha is cast separately and lifts off: curls topped by a smooth, drop-shaped finial rather than a flame. The neck rim is finished, so this is not a fragment of a figure.

Condition

Stable, ears intact, no breaks. The face has been polished to red copper. The hair is dark, with turquoise deposits on the neck rim and in patches in the hair. Small scratches and casting pits on the face, white oxidation on the ears. The urna is empty: its inlay is missing or was never fitted. There is a seam between cap and hair.

Specifications

• Origin: Thailand
• Date: 20th century, c. 1950–1980
• Material: bronze, hollow-cast
• Subject: Buddha head, cast as a free-standing bust
• Dimensions: H 37 × W 24.5 cm
• Weight: 3.8 kg
• SKU: 847

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