A COPPER ALLOY HEAD OF CROWNED BUDDHA THAILAND, AYUTTHAYA PERIOD, 17TH CENTURY 13 in. (33 cm) high Footnotes: 泰國 大城時期 十七世紀 戴冠銅佛首 Provenance Private Collection, New York This depiction of the Buddha represents the Phra Chao Song Khruang, or 'Buddha Adorned with Ornaments,' a type distinguished by its regal presentation. Here, the crowned Buddha is rendered with a serene and composed expression, the features harmoniously balanced: a delicately shaped mouth, sharply defined nose, gently curving brows, and lotus‑shaped eyes. These characteristics are hallmarks of this Ayutthaya-period image. A comparable example in the Dallas Museum of Art is illustrated in Bromberg, The Arts of India, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas (Dallas, 2013), p. 243, no. 141. A particularly unusual element of this figure is the row of elongated snail shells positioned above the diadem. This detail recalls a Theravada narrative in which Siddhartha, deep in meditation during his ascetic practices in the Uruvela forest, remained so still that snails settled on his head to shield him. Over time, this legend became associated with the term 'snail‑shell curls,' used to describe the compact spirals of hair that appear on many Thai Buddha images. The sculptor's decision to reference the story directly through the inclusion of actual snail forms makes this piece especially distinctive within the broader tradition. A closely related example with similar snail shells was sold at Bonhams, New York 19 March 2018, lot 3082. Also see Bonhams, New York, 14 September 2014, lot 94; 17 September 2014, lot 177; Sotheby's, New York, 28 October 1991, lot 121; 16/17 March 1988, lot 137; and Sotheby's, London, 13 June 1988, lot 190. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing