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Thanks for your help in identifying this metallic buddha

Thai. Bronze. Maybe old, maybe not.

Thanks Paul for your reply. What makes you hesitate on whether it's old or not? In case it's old, any guess as to what age/period it may have? I'm attaching another picture, thanks

It does look old, and it is in the Ayutthaya style. Ayutthaya (and other spellings) was the second capital, after Sukhotai and before Rattanakosin (Bangkok) Era. I hesitate to make a determination on age because the level of fakery or reproduction of bronzes (and stone sculpture, too) can be extremely high in Thailand.

Years ago I showed a bronze (Chiang Saen style) to the curator at the LA Museum. He wanted it for an upcoming show. He looked at it and said, yep, it's the real deal, but it has to go through my technical dept before it goes into the show. The technical dept did both a thermal luminescence test (inside) and solvent tests (outer surface) on it and pronounced it a more recent reproduction. When the curator gave it back to me, he said "I still think it's the real thing, but I can't argue with my lab."

So that's why I hesitate.

Thanks Paul, of course I'm not expecting a 100% certainty in your replies based only on a picture, I understand that to be able to reach a more precise conclusion one has to perform specific tests with the sample like in the example that you mentioned. Nevertheless the info you provide is very interesting and valuable.
I searched "Ayutthaya" and found out that the city was founded in 1350 and destroyed in 1767, that's a pretty wide time span, so if genuine this piece could be anywhere between 667 to 250 years old? Thanks

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