Crowned Buddha

THAILAND; Bangkok period

King Rama III (reigned 1824–1851) decreed that Buddha statues were to be adorned in royal attire. He also donated large sums of money for the creation of statues, which were lavishly embellished with gems and cast from gold, silver, or copper alloy.
This statue of the Buddha is shown wearing an elevated crown with a number of tiers and covered in jewels. Two highly decorated ribbons hang down from the crown and turn up at the ends. The serene face is oval with curved eyebrows, large eyes, prominent nose, and wide mouth with thick lips. The hands are raised to form the abhaya (fearlessness) mudra. There is a large collar necklace and an ornamental lotus on the chest held in place by jeweled bands. A smaller lotus can be found in the center of the belt. Jeweled ornaments hang from bracelets. The lower body is covered in a sampot made of gems. This representation of the Buddha in royal regalia is one of the more intriguing works of Buddhist art of the early 19th century.