Lot 53
Thai Gilt Lacquered Bronze Buddha, 19th Century
Lot 53 Details
Thai Gilt Lacquered Bronze Buddha, 19th Century
泰國 19世紀 鎏金加彩銅鑄佛像
Heavily and well cast, seated in virasana on a lotus petal base, the right hand in bhumisparshamudra, the left resting on the lap, wearing ornate samghati, a serene and meditative expression across the face, eyes downcast beneath arched eyebrows, elongated earlobes and with a curled hairdress and ushnisha, much enamel intact
height 34" — 86.3 cm.
Estimate $2,000-$3,000
Additional Images
Provenance:
From the Collection of Robert Stephenson (lots 49-56)
Bob was born in Brantford, Ontario in 1948. After receiving an honours degree in physics, mathematics and chemistry, he pursued a successful career in banking. In 1980, he was transferred from Vancouver to Asia with the Toronto Dominion Bank, and it was there that he fell in love with Asian art. He began collecting Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean pieces, and became particularly enamoured with figures of the Buddha, explaining that they gave him a sense of “peace and serenity”. To accommodate his growing collection, Bob began to sell various pieces, and in 1983 he and a friend, Nonny Clemete, established their company Artifacts. When the bank proposed Bob’s relocation to North America in 1984, he opted to trade in his suit and tie for his signature silk-shirt-and-black-pant ensemble, and focused all of his time on collecting and dealing in Asian art. He expanded Artifacts internationally, establishing showrooms in Hong Kong, Brussels, Toronto and Manila, and also opened a factory workshop in Manila where furniture was produced. Bob’s passion for Asian art was enduring, and despite his success in banking, he asserted that “I know I am much happier this way. Maybe I have to work twice as hard, but I am also having twice as much fun doing what I do.” While he amassed an impressive collection throughout his career, perhaps his most prized piece was the Thai Chien Seng Buddha from the 15th or 16th century (lot 54), which can be seen in the portrait of Bob by a renowned Toronto artist.
Note:
A similar example from The Doris Duke Collection was sold at Christie's New York, June 2-5, 2004, lot 998