Standing Buddha Mandalay (148cm)

The standing Buddha, carved in solid wood on its lotus-shaped base, Burma (Myanmar), Mandalay period, early 20th century. The posture is natural, his serene face sketches a slight smile. The eyes are made of glass, adding a very present and realistic dimension to the work. The wood is lacquered and gilded, richly decorated with glass beads, the Awakened One holds his monastic robe (uttarasanga) in his left hand. He holds the myrobalan fruit in his right hand, an allusion to the healing power of Buddha. A very fine example of the collection, one of the best preserved. Provenance: Estate of the merchant and collector Claude de Marteau. Sold with certificate of provenance H 148 cm x W 66 cm x D 23 cm (base included) Base H 17 cm x W 28 cm x D 23 cm The Mandalay Buddha is generally considered to be the Burmese interpretation of Buddhism in the 19th century. Buddha statues like this one are often depicted as youthful, with an open and benevolent facial expression. His clothes are richly decorated with flowers and scrolls in the thayo technique and mirror glass inlays. See this Gilded Wood Mandalay Buddha in full screen mode on Vintage Addict