Mandalay Buddhist art, or Yadanabon style, is the last great royal tradition of Burmese Buddhist sculpture. Developed under King Mindon after the foundation of Mandalay, it combines Nyaungyan and early Konbaung traditions with a new naturalism influenced by European art. Discover the distinctive Mandalay Buddha, with its natural proportions, backward-falling elongated earlobes, richly folded robe and low throne, and learn how to distinguish royal-period works from later Manda

Discover Burmese miniature bronze statuettes depicting the life of the Buddha, from the Dipankara prophecy and Nativity to the Great Departure and hair cutting. Learn about their role as votive offerings in Buddhist relic chambers.

Discover the fascinating evolution of Bagan Buddhist art, from the ancient Pyu tradition and the influence of Pala India to the refined classical Buddha images of the 11th and 12th centuries. Explore how King Anawrahta’s patronage of Theravada Buddhism transformed Burmese sculpture, how local Pyu craftsmen adapted Indian models, and how the elegant classical Bagan Buddha gradually evolved into the more monumental images of the Late Bagan period.

Discover the fascinating tradition of Burmese dry-lacquer Buddha sculpture, a remarkable art form developed in Myanmar using natural lacquer, cloth, fibre and papier-mâché-like materials. Particularly associated with Upper Burma, Sagaing, Ye-U and Shwebo, these lightweight hollow Buddha images flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries, especially under the Konbaung dynasty. Explore how these sacred sculptures were made, why Sagaing became an important centre of production