Provenance:
Jean-Claude Moreau-Gobard, Paris
European Private Collection, acquired in 1987
Bonhams, Hong Kong, March 29, 2018, no. 18
Swiss Private Collection
Each kneeling with their hands joined in anjali mudra, the two monks are shown in an attitude of prayer and reverence. Their robes fall over the left shoulder, leaving the right shoulder bare, while their elongated, unadorned earlobes are traditional signs of Buddhist monastic renunciation. Composed expressions and downcast eyes reinforce the devotional character of the figures.
The figures display characteristics associated with bronze sculpture of the Ayutthaya period, including gently modeled faces beneath arched brows and closely cropped hair arranged in rows of curls. Smooth, rounded contours define the shoulders, arms, and folded legs, while traces of lacquer and gilding remain on the surface.