Mid 20th Century Burmese Mandalay Standing Buddha Statue

Burmese Mandalay Standing Buddha Statue c. mid 20th century, made of gilded and glass-inlaid, hand-carved teak with lifelike enamel eyes.

At the end of the 18th Century a new style of Buddha images emerged in Burma. The city of Mandalay was considered the heart of Burma’s Buddhist art, thanks to the patronage of King Mandon, who was a devout Buddhist. Mandalay Period art focused on realism in the features of the Buddha and his attire. The style of the faces is oval with long, pointed noses, full lips and eyes defined by clear eyebrows. Elongated to the shoulders, the curved earlobes are placed well behind the round ushnisha, a protrusion at the top of the head illustrating the Buddha’s enlightenment. Also notable is the glass inlaid, stripe at the rim of the face clearly delineating the forehead from the hair. This Buddha harmonizes the eye and spirit of the beholder to the meditative calm and focus of the enlightened one.
Acquired from a private collection in New Jersey. All measurements are approximate.