Burmese Buddha in Dry Lacquer Papier-Mâché
Early Konbaung Dynasty, late 18th–early 19th century
Height: 82 cm
Material: Dry lacquer (thit-si) and papier-mâché
Provenance: Belgian private collectionA monumental and finely proportioned Burmese Buddha figure, dating from the late 18th to the first half of the 19th century, during the early Konbaung dynasty, when Amarapura served as the royal capital of Burma.
Standing 82 cm in height, the Buddha is executed in the characteristic dry-lacquer and papier-mâché technique for which Burmese sculpture of the period is particularly renowned. The refined modelling, serene expression and elegant proportions are characteristic of the classical Burmese dry-lacquer tradition. The sculpture was probably produced in Sagaing, one of the principal centres of Burmese lacquer and dry-lacquer craftsmanship during this period.
Of particular historical and iconographic interest is the Burmese inscription on the throne, written in Pa-O script, which reads Min Myat Wun Tha Baya, meaning approximately “the noble Buddha of the royal lineage.” The inscription appears to have been added after the sculpture's original production, probably when the Buddha entered a Pa-O Buddhist temple. This later inscription provides an intriguing testimony to the movement and continued veneration of the image within Burma, and offers an additional layer to its history and religious context.
The combination of its substantial size, classical dry-lacquer construction, early Konbaung-period dating and later Pa-O inscription makes this Buddha a particularly interesting example of Burmese Buddhist sculpture. It illustrates not only the sophisticated artistic traditions of Upper Burma, but also the continued life and adaptation of sacred images as they moved between communities and temples.
Period: Late 18th – first half 19th century
Dynasty: Early Konbaung Dynasty
Cultural region: Burma (Myanmar), Upper Burma
Probable place of production: Sagaing
Material: Dry lacquer and papier-mâché
Height: 82 cm
Inscription: Pa-O script, Min Myat Wun Tha Baya
Provenance: Belgian private collection