A LARGE ANDESITE HEAD OF BUDDHA, INDONESIA, CENTRAL JAVA, 9TH CENTURY Opinion: The present andesite head epitomizes the ingenuity of the Central Javanese stone carvers of the time, with distinct characteristics such as the incised pupils, large and elongated ears, and masterful snail-shell curls, arguably the best-designed facial features across all Buddhist art. Furthermore, the present sculpture bears the telltale signs of smoothened areas where beholders were gripped with the overt temptation to caress the head, which combined with the porous nature of the stone give it a unique yet unmistakable and, without a doubt, inimitable appearance.

Superbly and sensitively carved with a serene expression, marked by heavy-lidded downcast eyes below gently arched brows, centered by a raised circular urna, above a bow-shaped mouth with full lips forming a subtle smile, flanked by pendulous slit earlobes, the hair arranged in snail-shell curls over the domed ushnisha.

Provenance: From a European private collection, acquired before 2007, and thence by descent.
Condition: Superb condition, commensurate with age. Extensive wear, expected losses, signs of weathering and erosion.

Dimensions: Height 39 cm (excl. stand) and 48.5 cm (incl. stand)

Mounted on an associated metal stand. (2)

A Buddha image of ineffable quiet and stillness has been carved from rough volcanic rock. The profile and dome of the head are broad, allowing for a round tapering of the forehead, cheeks, and chin that, once finished with a polish, produce an overall impression of smoothness, belying the porous nature of the stone, which has resisted over a millennium of weather exposure with stunning ease. The sculptors working on the great stone monuments of 9th-century Central Java produced some of the most beautifully proportioned Buddhist sculptures of any period or medium.

The present statue is almost certainly from Borobudur or a related temple site, such as Sewu or Ngawen in Central Java. Built by the Shailendra dynasty around 825 CE, Borobudur is one of the greatest Buddhist monuments of all time, having one of the largest and most complete ensembles of Buddhist narrative relief panels in the world. Structured as a mandala of stacked platforms representing the three planes of existence in Mahayana cosmology (the world of desire, the world of forms, and the world of formlessness), Borobodur invites pilgrims circumambulating its didactic panels and sculpture to shuck the trappings of their perceived reality and realize their true inherent formlessness.

Literature comparison:
Three examples in the British Museum collected by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in the early 19th century demonstrate that not all Borobudur Buddha heads were created equal (1859,1228.175, 1859,1228.176, 1859,1228.177). Some have softer, more delicate brows while others show harder features and more pronounced monobrows. Some have spire-like ushnishas, while others are broader and more pleasing. Of the three British Museum heads, it is the most celebrated and widely exhibited one (1859,1228.176) that bears the closest resemblance to the present lot, illuminating its quality.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's New York, 20 March 2012, lot 143
Price: USD 170,500 or approx. EUR 207,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An andesite head of Buddha, Indonesia, central Java, 9th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related curls, urna, and expression. Note the size (36.8 cm).