Object Details
Catalogue Note
An antique Burmese Mandalay Buddha carved from teak and richly finished with lacquer relief, mirror-glass inlay and surviving gilding. Dating to the late 19th century, around 1880–1900, the figure is seated in bhumisparsha mudra and measures 50.5 cm high.
Mandalay Buddhist sculpture
The serene face, broad seated posture and richly worked robe belong to the decorative vocabulary associated with late Konbaung and early Mandalay Buddhist sculpture. Raised thayo lacquer ornament and hmankazi mirror-glass elements animate the robe and headdress against the warmer worn gilded surface.
Carved teak, lacquer and glass
The figure is carved in wood with applied lacquer relief, glass mosaic and historic gilding. The underside has been hollowed in the traditional manner to reduce tension in the timber. A painted or inscribed mark reading “B.U. 020” survives on the reverse; it is retained as part of the object’s collection history, without further provenance being assumed.
Condition
Good antique condition with age-related wear, losses to gilding and glass inlay, minor cracking and surface abrasion. The remaining lacquer, glass and gilding show the layered character expected of a used devotional sculpture.
Details
- Origin: Burma / Myanmar
- Date: ca. 1880–1900
- Tradition: Mandalay / late Konbaung
- Material: Teak, lacquer relief, mirror glass and gilding
- Mudra: Bhumisparsha
- Dimensions: H 50.5 × W 40.5 cm
- Weight: 5.4 kg
- SKU: 509
