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Please check this Face Book Album site to see 9 pics of the statue. If you have a problem with it please let me know. Thanks, Susan
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=6437&l=3652c&id=618526206

Link :FaceBook Album

Dear Susan

This is not female statue, he is Padmapani Avalokiteshvara, Thai-Chinese made, copied from the statue of Padmapani Avalokiteshvara of Srivichai Civilization, excavated in 20th century at Nakorn SriThammarat, Southern part of Thailand.

Made of copper with gold guilt, not 17th Century(Ayutthaya Period), It is Bangkok Period.

I may be wrong, but I will find the reasons to support my claim by tomorrow.

Rgs
Anita Mui

Dear Susan

About the material, it made of Nawaloha (9 kind of metal) mainly copper mixed with iron, gold, silver, lead, tin, mercury, zinc and antimony ore.

This material of making buddha images in Thailand are famous in Bangkok Period (late 18th century to present)Since the trading between Qing Dynasty of China and Siam were majority of Kingdom import-export in King RAMA III of Bangkok (Prabaht Somdej Pra Nang Klao Choayuhua) period (1824-1851) there were big migration of Chinese from Guang Dong Province, they bought Qing art as well as culture to Bangkok, too. But They were blended in with small vihecle buddhism ,and not play the important part in the main stream of Thai society and art.

Thailand is small vehicle (Hinayana) buddhism since 8th Century AD, there is no Avalokiteshvara, just Sakayamunee Buddha is only one supreme faith.

Avalokiteshvara belongs to big vehicle (Mahayana) buddhism, so your statue is Chinese (upper apart), and lower part the throne of the statue is openwork Bangkok Period Stylistic.

About the burial ashes, Thai custom is to cremate the death, then the bones will be crushed and ground to small pieces by the undertaker. The relative will keep the important part of the body, like skull (in pieces or in powder) in the small urn, to be kept in the house (immitate from Cambodia Civilization). The urn will be kept in the west wing, the altar must lower than Buddha altar in the North wing of the house, however, the urn can be put on the buddha altar but must be the lowest level. The other bones will be put in white cloth and kept in the small stupa in the temple. The cremated flesh and left over ashes from the cremation will be put in white cloth and then floated in the river.

Thais will not stuff any ashes in any statue, the powder you saw under the statue is gypsum cement. The status in Bangkok Period, always stuffed with holy powder (a mixture of holy plants, and/or anything that the maker of the stautue assumed that they have magic power). Some holy powder may make from broken ancient buddha amulets, ashed from the robe of famous monks..etc.. And then sealed with gypsum cement.

Thais will not stuff the ashes of the death under the holy statue, the spirits of the death will be trapped and will not cross-over to heaven or hell.

As for the style and Artistic expression, this statue does not indicate Thai art except the throne of the statue, I think the best I can give is:-

1)It was made in the period of king RAMA VI (Prabaht Somdej Pramongkukklao Choayuhua)1910-1925 to king RAMA VIII (Prabaht Somdej Prachaoyuhua Ananda Mahidol)1935-1946, since Chinese Communities played important part in ecomonic as well as politic.

2)The maker have put the emblem on the carpet of the throne. It must be the name of the maker, made for honour of, the temple or the community who made this statue. The emblem is a flower, the maker may have name as "Pikul" or "Mali"
or "Lumduan" or "Lantom". The style of flower is hard and sharp, not get along well with the crown and accessories of the statue (which are Chinese's). If the statue and the throne are separated, I will assume that the statue is older than the throne. And the ancient Thai art will not have emblem on the statues.

Since this statue indicates mixed culture, Thai+Chinese, ancient art + modern art, I think it is 20th century Bangkok Period.

For your consideration.

Anita Mui

Thank you very much Anita for all your research and information. Unfortunately, I know very little about it and will need to continue to research so that I may understand better. Can you tell me what this statue is called? Are you saying that the statue and the base were made separately at different times and in different countries? Why would this be? What was the cultural and religious point of keeping such a statue and was this a common custom for all buddists? I live in Chicago. Do you know of a place or person who I should take the statue to so that it can be seen close up? Do you think that there is any value in this piece? I do not have it insured in a rider to my house insurance and don't know if I should or not.
Again, thank you! You certainly know a great deal about asian art. Susan

pls see copper band under the statue.

Dear Susan

He is Padmapani Avalokiteshvara, you can Google him by using keyword "Padmapani".

I saw a band of copper or iron under the base, it may tight up the statue with the throne (the stand)please look closely.

The statue is Chinese, and I have never seen Chinese statue made of nawaloha and/or copper in Ming or Qing Dynasty (may be they have). So it is possible to be made by Chinese Communities in Thailand over 50 yrs ago, because the gold leaves were peeled off and the style of the statue is not of today.

Chinese in Thailand immigrated to Siam from time to time before or after 7-8th century AD , because China was a major trading partner of Siam, Siam sold ivory, pepper, spice, fragrance woods to China, and on the way back Siam bought gunpowder, silk, ceramic to Siam. And vessels from China were on board to Thailand, too. Anything from China was considered luxurious, expensive and valuable, Siamese royal families used ceramic ware from China (Yuan to Qing Dynasty), wearing Chinese silk, and China taught Siam to made ceramic ware from 8th Century AD, to be sold locally and exported to south east Asia.

You may see Chinese civilization left in Thailand, a wok is a cooking pan originally from China, fried food with oil are from China, shrimp paste, pig...etc but not Mahayana Buddhism.

This statue worths something, because it is unique and rare. I have no idea how much. You have to put him in the better place, not opposite the toilet, closet, shoes shelf, end of the bed (against your feet). You may offer him lotus flowers (Padmapani is related to lotus) , and light up 9 incense sticks, he will bless and protect your family. The metal made for statue itself has magic power, in ancient Thailand, they use for making daggers for destroying evil spirits.

I do not know anybody in Chicago, you may walk to China town and look for Chinese Temple, I think you may find similar statue of Padmapani there.

Best of luck.

Anita Mui

Dear Anita,
Thank you again for your insight. I do know that this piece has been in my family's possession since around 1880 or so and was obtained while my great uncle and aunt traveled about the Asia and other parts of the world. I was struck by your comments as to where to keep him and about the incense. I did not know any of this, and to my knowledge, I have been the only one in the family for the past 50 years who gave the statue a place of honor in my home. After a major residence move, it ended up stored away until I rediscovered it. My son, now 28, saw it after a number of years and became extremely attached to it. He created an area of honor for it, knowing nothing about it's history, and would burn incense next to it and kept natural things around it on a table, like things made from asian woods and live and dried bamboo. We are not buddists but have incorporated many eastern beliefs into our own spiritual lives. beliefs. I will follow your advice as my life is in turmoil and I believe that Padmapani could be helpful. I will google his name and follow up with some research. Your information though has been just invaluable and I thank you deeply. The copper piece holding the holy powder and gypsum powder does appear to be holding the statue to the base as you thought. I have sent the same pictures to Christie's in New York to see what they have to say - it'll take months probably to hear back from them though. Thanks so very much Anita. Susan

Hello Susan,
to my opinion your bronze is definitely 18th century,chinese,period chien-lung and one of thousands,that were made to honor the chinese emperor.
If you look at the socle behind the sculpture there should be two holes,that were intended to fix the flames aureole,which belonged originally to that type of bronze.
Regards
Gert

Dear Gert,
Thank you very much for your response. You are correct! I had never noticed the two small holes on the back of the statue's head. I will try to upload the photo here. There are also hand-tooled, small rectangle holes to either side of the statue on the throne. I have no idea what they were for. Unfortunately I don't have a photo to show the statue from above available. The hand-tooled openings on the back of the throne are rough and there are tool marks at the top of the left opening where the bronze is dented a bit inwards.
Whatever information you can provide would be very much appreciated. My grandmother was bequeathed this item about 65 years ago by her uncle, who purchased it in Asia, 1880-1890, possibly in Thailand. She passed this statue on to me just before she died in 1983. She'd had little interest in it and had very little information about it. My father also had no interest in it. What I have said in my messages is what I learned primarily from an Asian Art dealer in NYC in 1985. He was the one who said that it was an 18th century Thai statue. (the message board is not accepting my photo. if you have an email address that i can send it to i'd be happy to do so. sorry.)
Thanks so much!
Susan

Dear Susan,
its good to be a small help for your research.
My email is anticus@aol.com.
There exist also exactly the same bronzes with the
inscription and dating 1770 of the chien-lung period on the front of the socle.
Also the Amitayus should have a small bowl in his hands, but the aureole and bowl is missing very often.The bronzes with inscription and complete are sold in the trade for ca. USD 3000.- Your bronze I estimate with ca. USD 1500 retail.
Enjoy and have a good day.
Best regards
Gert

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