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Head of Buddha

second half of the 7th–8th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
This spectacular head is notable for its stylization and fine rendering of detail. This Buddha appears to represent a different workshop tradition from that of Nakhon Pathom, to which most of the monumental Buddhas are attributed. Rather, it can be associated with a workshop style centered farther north and represented by several large standing, preaching Buddhas, most notably those from Wat Khoi, Lopburi, and Wat Mahathat, Sukhothai. These monumental icons, and this head, are reminders of the remarkable mobility of large-scale religious icons in historical Thailand, as successive kingdoms appropriated the most potent icons of their predecessors.

cat. no. 115

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Head of Buddha
  • Date: second half of the 7th–8th century
  • Culture: Central Thailand
  • Medium: Sandstone
  • Dimensions: H. 12 5/8 in. (32 cm); W. 8 11/16 in. (22 cm); D. 10 1/4 in. (26 cm); Wt. (with base back) 60 lbs (27.2 kg)

  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Lent by National Museum, Bangkok (DV28)
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art