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12. Buddha Sakyamuni Burma, Pagan 14th century Marble height 125 cm. |
This impressive life-size temple image of Sakyamuni represents one of the most significant episodes in the Buddha’s life; the moment he attained the state of enlightenment. With his right hand Buddha touches the earth, indicating the subjugation of Mara, the god of desire who had tempted the Buddha, and was the last obstacle in his attainment of spiritual perfection. The Buddha represents the style of Pagan, one of the most extraordinary Buddhist sites in Asia that once comprised more than 13,000 temples, pagodas and other religious structures. During the late Pagan period Muslim invasions led to reduced contact with India. Consequently, a more distinctive local style of Buddha image began to evolve in Burma, and this continued in the early Ava period. The head became larger in relation to the body and was placed slightly forward on a short neck, and the curls became less dominant. The present Buddha has all the typical Pagan stylistic characteristics: the lotus throne that reveals Indian Pala influence, fingers of different length, the small finial on top of the ushnisa, prominent ears, the construction of the monastic robe with the finely pleated swatch of cloth spread out on the throne, and the absence of a band separating forehead and curls. The sculpture was made to be seen frontally, the back being partly unfinished with only an engraved inscription underlining the sculpture’s original importance. The characters were probably inscribed by donors as their act of merit. Marble was a rare material during the Pagan period. Mentioned in Pagan inscriptions, the high quality opaque white marble was first quarried in Kyauk-Hse, south of Mandalay. The present sculpture of Sakyamuni is a rare and important work of Burmese art, and is one of the earliest sculptures carved from this beautiful stone. Provenance: Collection Galerie De Ruimte, Eersel, the Netherlands, 1970s. Art Loss Register Certificate, Reference S00027873. G.H. Luce, Old Burma-Early Pagan, III, New York, 1970, n°142, n°215, no.344. S. Fraser-Lu, Buddha Images from Burma, Sculptured in Stone, I, Arts of Asia, Jan-Feb 1981, p.72-82. P. Strachan, Pagan. Art & Architecture of Old Burma, Oxford, 1989, p.107. |