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19th-Century Burmese Mandalay Buddha – Solid Teak (50.5 cm)
19th-Century Burmese Mandalay Buddha – Solid Teak (50.5 cm)
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This museum-quality, antique Burmese Buddha statue from the late Konbaung Dynasty / early Mandalay period (c. 1880–1900) boasts monumental presentation value with a height of 50.5 cm and an exceptionally broad base of 40.5 cm. Entirely hand-carved from a single solid block of tropical teak wood, this sculpture brings an impressive weight of no less than 5.4 kg to the scales. The Buddha is depicted in the classic Bhumisparsha mudra (the gesture of the earth as witness).
Spiritual Significance & Iconography
The statue depicts the Buddha at the crucial moment of his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. With his right hand, he touches the earth (Bhumisparsha mudra) to call upon the earth goddess, Sthavara, as a witness to his countless lives of merit, thereby decisively overcoming the temptations of the demon king Mara (Maravijaya). This specific moment symbolizes unwavering steadfastness, spiritual triumph, and pure enlightenment. The remarkably broad, stable sitting posture reinforces this symbolism of absolute imperturbability and deep meditative tranquility in space.
Royal Craftsmanship & Forensic Indicators
- Extremely Slender Fingers: The right hand reaching over the knee features very elongated, tapering fingers. This level of delicate, realistic carving indicates a high-quality commission by a master atelier for the royal court or elite monasteries.
- 3D Thayo Lacquer Relief & Hmankazi: The monastic robe (civara) over the left shoulder is heavily layered in deep, three-dimensional Thayo lacquer relief and richly inlaid with two-tone green and silvered glass mirror tesserae (Hmankazi). This reflects traditional Burmese temple aesthetics where light reflection was used to accentuate the divine.
- Central Floral Rosette: The broad forehead band (pata) frames the serene face and features a prominent, centrally inlaid floral rosette directly above the eyebrows, characteristic of the highest class within the Mandalay style.
Masterful Sub-Base Architecture & Conservation
The base was professionally hollowed out by the craftsman with a hand chisel to reduce internal tension in the solid teak wood, thus preventing dangerous frontal shrinkage cracks over the decades. The entire underside and hollow interior are fully sealed with an unrestored, matte layer of mineral, cinnabar-red Thit-si lacquer. The surface is free of modern machining and shows exclusively authentic, manual tool marks. On the back, there is the historical collection registration "B.U. 020" from an old European private collection.
Specifications
- Origin: Burma (Myanmar)
- Period: Late Konbaung Dynasty / late 19th century (c. 1880–1900)
- Material: Monolithic Burmese teak wood, Thayo relief paste, Hmankazi mirror glass, and gold leaf
- Dimensions: Height 50.5 cm | Width 40.5 cm
- Weight: 5.4 kg (Exceptionally heavy, dense quality)
- Condition: Excellent, untouched museum quality with a fabulously aged gold and lacquer solid skin.
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