A RARE GILT-LACQUERED WOOD FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, PAGAN PERIOD, 11TH CENTURY

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A RARE GILT-LACQUERED WOOD FIGURE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, PAGAN PERIOD, 11TH CENTURY This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005: “No. 156, FH 1987, Burma Pagan 11th c. wood Buddha” Gallery price: EUR 4,900 or approx. EUR 8,200 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Myanmar (Burma). Finely carved seated in ardhapadmasana on a pedestal, his right hand in bhumisparsha mudra, his left arm resting above his lap, dressed in a monk’s robe draped over the left shoulder, the face with a serene expression, with downcast eyes below gently arched eyebrows, flanked by elongated earlobes, and the hair tied away from the face over the gently domed ushnisha. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Height 20.3 cm The Kingdom of Pagan was the first Burmese polity to unite the regions that later formed present-day Myanmar. During approximately 250 years of rule across the Irrawaddy Valley and surrounding territories, Pagan established the foundations for the rise of Burmese language and culture, the expansion of Bamar influence in Upper Myanmar, and the consolidation of Theravada Buddhism throughout Myanmar and mainland Southeast Asia. By the late twelfth century, Burmese linguistic and cultural traditions had become dominant in the upper Irrawaddy Valley, gradually superseding earlier Pyu, Mon, and Pali cultural norms. Theravada Buddhism increasingly extended beyond court and monastic circles into village life during this period, although Tantric, Mahayana, Brahmanical, and animist practices remained deeply embedded across all levels of society. Rulers of Pagan sponsored an extensive program of religious construction, commissioning more than 10,000 Buddhist monuments within the Bagan Archaeological Zone, with more than 2,000 surviving today. Wealthy patrons endowed religious institutions with tax-exempt land, contributing to the accumulation of substantial monastic wealth. By the late thirteenth century, the growing concentration of tax-free religious estates weakened royal revenues and reduced the capacity of the crown to secure loyalty among court officials and military retainers. Together with internal instability and increasing external pressure from Arakanese, Mon, Mongol, and Shan groups, these developments accelerated the decline of the kingdom. A series of Mongol invasions between 1277 and 1301 ultimately brought an end to this long-established polity. Expert’s note: The Gupta-style Buddha was a source of inspiration for the entire Buddhist world, including land-bound Nepal and Tibet, the island of Sri Lanka, and the Southeast Asian countries of Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Java. This Gupta influence established the quintessential sculptural standards—serene, downcast eyes, clinging diaphanous robes, and harmonious bodily proportions—that became the foundational aesthetic for Burmese temples. Literature comparison: Compare a related lacquered wood carving of Buddha descending from Tavatimsa, dated Pagan period, 12th century, 70.5 cm high, in the Bagan Archeological Museum, included in the exhibition Buddhist Art of Myanmar, Asia Society, 10 February-10 May 2015, New York, and illustrated in the catalogue, p. 129, no. 20.

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