A MONUMENTAL (214 CM) GILT-LACQUERED WOOD STATUE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, SHAN STATES, 17TH CENTURY

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A MONUMENTAL (214 CM) GILT-LACQUERED WOOD STATUE OF BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI, SHAN STATES, 17TH CENTURY This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005: “No. 571, Leo A. 1990, Ex FH, Burmese Shan Giant Buddha, Gilded wood, 17th c. ca. 180 cm ex. Flame” Gallery price: EUR 127,000 or approx. EUR 212,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Expert’s note: Buddha images substantially larger than life size, such as the present lot, are typically seen as the principal images in early Shan temples. For a comparable example, see a Buddha statue at the Shwe Indein Pagoda, a complex dating from the 12th-13th century. Burma, Shan state. Well carved seated upon a shaped pedestal with the right hand lowered in bhumisparsha mudra and the left hand placed in his lap. The serene face with downcast eyes, and pursed lips forming a gentle smile, flanked by elongated earlobes. The hair arranged in spiked curls over the ushnisha, rising to a large, separately carved bud-form finial. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Height 214 cm (excl. base), 223 cm (incl. base) Mounted on a massive hardwood base with a central bronze plaque inscribed 'Buddha Sakyamuni. Burma Shan 17th century'. (2) The founding of Shan States inside the present-day boundaries of Burma began during the Pagan Kingdom in the Shan Hills and accelerated after 1287 when the Kingdom fell to the Mongols. The Tai people, who came south with the Mongols, stayed, and quickly came to dominate much of the northeastern arc of Burma. The newly founded Shan States were multi-ethnic and included minorities such as the Chin, the Kachin, the Wa, the Ta'ang, the Lisu, the Lahu, the Pa O, and the Kayah. Although Burmanized Shans founded the Ava Kingdom that ruled central Burma, other Shan States, Mohnyin in particular, constantly raided Ava territories throughout the years. A Mohnyin-led Confederation of Shan States finally conquered Ava in 1527. In 1555, King Bayinnaung dislodged Shan king Sithu Kyawhtin from Ava. By 1557 he went on to conquer all of what would become known as the Burmese Shan States under his rule, from the Assamese border in the northwest to those in Kachin and Shan Hills, including the two most powerful Shan States, Mohnyin and Mogaung. The Shan States were reduced to the status of governorships, but the Saophas (rulers) were permitted to retain their royal regalia and their feudal rights over their own subjects. Bayinnaung introduced Burmese customary law and prohibited all human and animal sacrifices. He also required the sons of Saophas to reside in the Burmese king's palace, essentially hostages, in order to ensure the good conduct of their fathers and to receive training in Burmese court life. Within this layered political arrangement, the distinct Shan style of Buddhist art emerged: a localized sculptural idiom shaped by Tai traditions, courtly patronage, and cross-regional influences, including Mon, Burmese, and Lanna aesthetics. Though not coterminous with the Shan States themselves, Shan style sculpture flourished within their territories, often serving as expressions of religious devotion, regional identity, and elite legitimacy under shifting regimes of power. Literature comparison: Compare a related smaller gilt-lacquered wood figure of Buddha, dated to the 18th century, 93.5 cm high, in the British Museum, registration number 1872,0701.3.

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