AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE MONUMENTAL WOOD FIGURE OF BUDDHA, PAGAN KINGDOM, 13TH-14TH CENTURY

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AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE MONUMENTAL WOOD FIGURE OF BUDDHA, PAGAN KINGDOM, 13TH-14TH CENTURY This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005: “No. 203, LA 1975, A. Maynard, Burma Pagan 11th c. wood crowned Buddha.” Gallery price: EUR 27,000 or approx. EUR 45,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing. Expert’s note: The tall finial above the crown and the almost vegetal ornamentation beside it follow a quite different idiom from the high style of Pagan and anticipate the Jambupati images, where the Buddha appears dressed in the ceremonial regalia of a contemporary local monarch. This iconography derives from a legend known in both Myanmar and Thailand, in which Jambupati, an Indian king who rejected the teachings of the Buddha, became overwhelmed by a display of extraordinary spiritual authority. By appearing in magnificent royal attire, the Buddha revealed a power surpassing all earthly sovereignty and ultimately brought about the conversion of the king. Burma. Finely carved seated in dhyanasana on a double-lotus pedestal, the right hand extended in bhumisparsha mudra and the left resting in dhyana mudra above the lap. The figure clad in a closely fitted robe and adorned with a foliate necklace. The face in a serene expression with heavy-lidded downcast eyes, elegantly arched brows, a broad nose, and full lips forming a subtle smile, framed by long, pendulous earlobes. The hair arranged in a high chignon, surmounted by a tall lotus-bud finial behind a foliate crown, enriched with intricately carved ribbons of scrolling foliage and beaded ornamentation. Important Note: For essential information on the Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger Dimensions: Height 129.2 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. Literature comparison: Compare a related gilt and lacquer wood figure of the standing crowned and jeweled Buddha, Burma, Pagan period, 12th-13th century, 197.5 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 1992.382. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 20 September 2021, lot 373 Price: USD 63,000 or approx. EUR 66,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling and manner of carving with similar crown, pectoral, and facial features. Note the size (156.5 cm).

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