This figure of a Sukhothai Buddha is depicted in mid-stride with his right foot forward and right hand in abhaya mudra (gesture of fearlessness). The inward curve of the left arm and the walking posture give the piece an overall expression of calm fluid mobility. The robes are subtly outlined and the ushnisha (top knot) rises to a flame. Images of the Buddha were commissioned as an act of merit.

History of the Object

This type of iconography has come to epitomise a classic moment in Thai history. It is a quintessential aesthetic icon of the Sukhothai kingdom and historical period. The asexual nature of the Buddha and his transcendental nature are expressed through the stylised anatomy which moves with a fluidity that no other styles of Thai art seem to have achieved.