Burmese Votive Tablets in Clay: From the Pyu Period to Bagan

Bagan votive tablet second half 11th century

Among the most fascinating objects of Burmese Buddhist art are the humble clay votive tablets. Often only a few centimetres high, they can also reach much more substantial dimensions, with some examples measuring more than 20 centimetres in height.

Their appearance can be deceptively simple. A Buddha image is impressed into a piece of clay, sometimes accompanied by an inscription on the reverse. Yet these small objects tell an extraordinary story about Buddhist devotion, artistic exchange, royal patronage and the development of Buddhist culture in Myanmar. Some Burmese votive tablets are remarkably elaborate, with multiple scenes from the life of the Buddha represented on a single tablet, while others are covered with dozens or even hundreds of repeated Buddha figures. These complex compositions demonstrate the sophistication of the seals and moulds used by the craftsmen.

Votive tablets were produced in enormous quantities, particularly during the Bagan period. Their production was made possible by a simple but highly effective technique: stamping a mould or seal into wet clay and then firing the clay to make it solid and durable.

This was an easy and relatively low-cost way to produce Buddhist images. It meant that a king could commission thousands of images, while an ordinary Buddhist devotee could also afford to make or donate a sacred image to a temple.

The irony is that, although they were produced in such enormous numbers, relatively few have survived in good condition.

The reason is the material itself: clay is fragile.

What is a votive tablet?

A votive tablet is a religious image made as an offering.

In Buddhist tradition, the creation of an image of the Buddha could be an act of religious merit. A devotee could have a tablet produced and dedicate it to a temple, stupa or other sacred place.

The most common subject is the Buddha seated in bhūmisparśa mudrā, the earth-touching gesture associated with the Buddha's enlightenment. Other tablets can depict different Buddhist figures, stupas, scenes from the Buddha's life or more elaborate religious compositions.

The term "tablet" can sometimes suggest something very small. In reality, Burmese examples vary considerably in size. Some are tiny enough to fit easily in the palm of the hand, while larger examples can exceed 20 cm in height.

Whatever their size, their purpose remained essentially the same: the creation and offering of a sacred Buddhist image.

An ingenious and inexpensive way to make Buddhist images

The production of a votive tablet was remarkably simple compared with the creation of a stone or bronze Buddha.

The basic principle was to create a seal, matrix or mould bearing the desired image.

The artisan first prepared soft, wet clay or mud. A suitable quantity was placed on a working surface and prepared to receive the image.

The seal was then pressed or stamped firmly into the wet clay.

When the seal was removed, it left behind a reversed impression of the Buddha and all the details carved into the matrix. The artisan could then carefully trim the edges and shape the tablet.

If an inscription was required, it could be added to the back while the clay was still soft.

The tablet was then left to dry and harden before being fired.

The dried clay was placed in a kiln or otherwise subjected to sufficient heat to cook or fire the clay, transforming the soft material into solid terracotta.

This firing was a crucial stage. Once properly fired, the clay became much harder and more resistant than it had been in its original wet state.

The finished tablet could then be handled, transported and deposited in a temple, stupa or other sacred location.

The entire process could be repeated again and again using the same seal.

Step by step

The basic process can therefore be understood in a few stages:

Preparing the clay — suitable clay or mud was cleaned, kneaded and prepared while still moist.

Stamping the image — the seal or mould was pressed into the wet clay, transferring the Buddha image.

Removing the seal — the matrix was carefully lifted away, leaving the relief image in the clay.

Finishing the tablet — the edges could be trimmed and inscriptions added to the reverse.

Drying — the tablet was allowed to lose much of its moisture and become firm.

Firing — the dried tablet was heated in a kiln or similar environment, cooking the clay and turning it into solid terracotta.

Offering — once finished, the tablet could be donated, carried by a pilgrim or deposited in a temple or stupa. Before the offering, the tablet may be gilt and lacquered.

This straightforward technique was ideally suited to the production of large numbers of sacred images.

The moulds: metal, stone and clay

The seal or mould was the key to the entire process.

Depending on the period and workshop, the matrix could be made from metal, stone or sometimes clay itself.

A durable metal or stone seal could be used repeatedly, allowing an artisan to produce a very large number of identical or nearly identical images.

Clay moulds could also be made relatively easily and used for reproduction.

The quality of the finished tablet depended on many factors: the quality of the clay, the condition of the seal, the pressure used to stamp the image, the skill of the artisan and the firing process.

This is why tablets made from the same mould can still show small variations.

The repeated use of a seal also explains why certain Buddha images appear again and again among archaeological discoveries.

Why were votive tablets made?

The fundamental reason was religious merit.

Making an image of the Buddha and offering it to a temple or stupa was considered a meritorious act.

The tablet itself was not necessarily intended to be displayed prominently like a monumental Buddha. Many were deposited inside religious monuments, sometimes in very large quantities.

The important act was the creation and offering of the sacred image.

The inexpensive nature of clay made this practice accessible to a very broad section of society.

A king could commission thousands of images as part of his religious patronage.

A monastery could produce large quantities for a religious foundation.

And an ordinary Buddhist, without the wealth required to commission a large stone or bronze sculpture, could afford a clay image and donate it to a temple.

This is one of the most important aspects of votive tablets.

They made the creation and donation of a Buddhist image accessible to people at very different levels of society.

The Pyu period: connections with India and Sri Lanka

The tradition of making votive tablets in Myanmar goes back to the Pyu period, centuries before the rise of Bagan.

The ancient Pyu cities, particularly Sri Ksetra, have produced numerous terracotta Buddhist tablets and other religious objects.

Pyu Buddhist art demonstrates strong connections with both India and Sri Lanka.

The connection with India can be seen in Buddhist iconography, artistic styles and religious imagery, particularly influences by eastern India but also Sri Lanka and southern India.

At the same time, the Pyu kingdoms were connected to the Buddhist traditions of Sri Lanka, which played an important role in the wider Buddhist network of the Indian Ocean and mainland Southeast Asia.

These connections show that the Pyu were not an isolated civilization.

Religious ideas, artistic models, sacred objects and Buddhist traditions travelled between India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

The Pyu kingdoms occupied an important position within this wider Buddhist world.

Pyu votive tablets exist in a variety of forms. Some resemble Bodhi leaves, while others have architectural frames, arches or other distinctive shapes.

Their inscriptions are also important historical documents, providing evidence for the languages and scripts used in ancient Myanmar.

The tradition established during the Pyu period would later be transformed on a much larger scale at Bagan.

King Anawrahta and the beginning of the Bagan tradition

The production of votive tablets entered a new phase during the reign of King Anawrahta, who ruled Bagan from 1044 to 1077.

Anawrahta is one of the great figures of Burmese history. During his reign, the kingdom expanded considerably and Bagan became a major centre of Buddhist culture.

The earliest votive tablets associated with Anawrahta show strong influence from the Pala Buddhist tradition of eastern India.

Pala seals and Buddhist imagery provided important prototypes.

Anawrahta initially used these Pala models before the development and use of his own royal seals and specifically Bagan forms.

The adoption of Pala imagery demonstrates the continuing artistic and religious connections between Myanmar and eastern India during this period.

Anawrahta and mass production

Under Anawrahta, the production of votive tablets expanded dramatically.

Thousands of tablets were produced, using seals and moulds that allowed the same sacred image to be reproduced on a huge scale.

The production process was particularly well suited to this.

Once a seal had been made, the artisan simply needed to prepare wet clay, press the seal into it, remove the matrix and then dry and fire the resulting tablet.

The same seal could therefore be used repeatedly.

This was far less expensive and labour-intensive than individually sculpting thousands of Buddhas.

For a king, the advantages were obvious.

Anawrahta could commission enormous quantities of Buddhist images without having each one carved individually. The tablets could then be distributed throughout his kingdom or deposited in religious monuments.

The technique therefore allowed royal religious patronage to reach a scale that would have been extremely difficult with individually carved images.

But the same process had an equally important consequence for ordinary people.

Because the finished object was inexpensive to make, a normal Buddhist could afford to obtain an image of the Buddha and donate it to a temple.

The votive tablet therefore connected royal patronage with everyday religious devotion.

The inscriptions on the reverse

The reverse of a votive tablet can be just as interesting as its front.

While the clay was still soft, inscriptions could be added by hand.

They could contain Buddhist formulas, prayers, names or references to patrons.

Some Bagan tablets are associated with inscriptions naming Anawrahta, while others contain Buddhist formulas such as the Ye Dhamma verse.

For historians and collectors, these inscriptions can provide important information about the object.

They can also reveal an interesting distinction between the mechanically reproduced image and the individually added inscription.

The Buddha on the front may have been stamped from the same seal used for hundreds or thousands of tablets, while the writing on the reverse may have been added specifically to that particular object.

From Bagan across Southeast Asia

The distribution of votive tablets was not confined to Bagan.

Their relatively small size and light weight made them easy to transport.

Pilgrims, monks and merchants could carry them between Buddhist centres, allowing sacred images and religious practices to move across political borders.

Burmese and Bagan-related votive traditions are also connected with discoveries in areas that later became associated with Lanna, Sukhothai and Ayutthaya, in present-day Thailand.

Examples can today be found in Thai museum collections.

Their distribution illustrates the strong religious and artistic connections that existed between the Buddhist kingdoms of mainland Southeast Asia.

A small clay tablet could therefore travel far from the workshop where it was produced.

Bagan imagery during the Ava period

The tradition continued after the decline of Bagan.

One of the most fascinating characteristics of Burmese Buddhist art is the longevity of Bagan imagery.

Because seals and moulds could be reused or copied, an established sacred image could remain in circulation long after the original period in which it was created.

Some votive tablets associated with the Ava period are particularly interesting because they retain imagery connected with Bagan seals while the writing on the reverse is in the Myanmar language.

These objects demonstrate the continuity of Burmese Buddhist artistic traditions.

The image could preserve the visual language of Bagan while the inscription belonged to a much later period.

For collectors, this is another reason why both sides of a votive tablet should always be examined.

Thousands produced, but few survived

Perhaps the greatest paradox of Burmese votive tablets is that enormous numbers were produced, yet relatively few survive in good condition.

The explanation is the material from which they were made.

Clay is fragile.

Even after firing, a terracotta tablet can break easily, especially when it is thin. Some examples were lightly fired, making them even more vulnerable.

For centuries, these objects were exposed to humidity, water, pressure, earthquakes, collapsing buildings, roots and other environmental factors.

Many were deliberately placed inside stupas and temples. They could be buried in foundations or deposited in chambers in large groups.

When a monument collapsed, the tablets inside could be crushed beneath bricks and stone.

Others deteriorated because of moisture while buried.

The firing process made the clay solid, but it could not make it indestructible.

As a result, a large proportion of the votive tablets originally produced did not survive intact.

This is why the fact that thousands were made does not mean that good examples are common today.

Quite the opposite.

A complete and well-preserved example can be surprisingly uncommon.

Antique Burmese votive tablets at Rix Enchères

At Rix Enchères, we have a particular interest in Buddhist art and the small and large sacred objects that help tell the history of Myanmar and Southeast Asia.

Our online shop features a selection of antique Buddhist objects from Myanmar, including Burmese clay votive tablets when available.

For collectors, these objects offer the opportunity to own a tangible survivor of an extraordinary tradition — one that connected royal patronage, everyday Buddhist devotion and the artistic world of Bagan.

Written by Denis Lepage

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