Mandalay, Upper Burma
18th century
Marble with black pigment and lacquer
Height 8 1/4 in (21 cm) plus custom museum mount
Provenance: Private collection, Honolulu, Hawaii
This head was carved from a single piece of marble and would originally have formed part of a larger seated or standing Buddha figure. The face is broad and flat with minimal undercutting to the bone areas, a characteristic feature of the late Ava period carving tradition centered in Mandalay. The eyes carry a passive, downward expression and the lips are slightly upturned, conveying the serene detachment associated with meditative absorption in Burmese Buddhist iconography.
Marble images of the Buddha were a specialty of stone carvers working near Mandalay, which has two principal marble quarries, one in the Sagyin Hills to the north and another near Kauk-hse to the south. The application of black pigment rather than lacquer to decorate the image is consistent with 18th-century rather than 19th-century Mandalay production, supporting the earlier dating. The loss of the original black surface across much of the head reveals the fine-grained white marble beneath, giving the piece its present two-toned appearance.
References: Fraser-Lu, S., and D.M. Stadtner, Buddhist Art of Myanmar, Asia Society Museum, 2015. Lowry, J., Burmese Art, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2015.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Mandalay, Upper Burma
18th century
Marble with black pigment and lacquer
Height 8 1/4 in (21 cm) plus custom museum mount
Provenance: Private collection, Honolulu, Hawaii
This head was carved from a single piece of marble and would originally have formed part of a larger seated or standing Buddha figure. The face is broad and flat with minimal undercutting to the bone areas, a characteristic feature of the late Ava period carving tradition centered in Mandalay. The eyes carry a passive, downward expression and the lips are slightly upturned, conveying the serene detachment associated with meditative absorption in Burmese Buddhist iconography.
Marble images of the Buddha were a specialty of stone carvers working near Mandalay, which has two principal marble quarries, one in the Sagyin Hills to the north and another near Kauk-hse to the south. The application of black pigment rather than lacquer to decorate the image is consistent with 18th-century rather than 19th-century Mandalay production, supporting the earlier dating. The loss of the original black surface across much of the head reveals the fine-grained white marble beneath, giving the piece its present two-toned appearance.
References: Fraser-Lu, S., and D.M. Stadtner, Buddhist Art of Myanmar, Asia Society Museum, 2015. Lowry, J., Burmese Art, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2015.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
