Mandalay Gilded & Lacquered Wooden Standing Buddha

This standing carved 19th century image of the Buddha is in the Mandalay style and most probably was made in that city. This example is well proportioned. It is lacquered and gilded (covered in gold leaf). This image is not too large – it is not life-size for example, and so is more manageable than other examples.

The modelling is particularly naturalistic. The image is tall and slender. The face has a restful, contemplative expression. The eyes are of white and black material – shell or enamel.

There is a headband around the forehead – this is characteristic of the Mandalay style and suggestive of Thai influence. The head protuberance (usnisa) is round and even.

The outer robes (uttarasanga) flair outwards and the torso is completely covered.

The hands are in a variant of the varadamudra gesture, a gesture of benevolence.  The right hand holds between the thumb and the index finger a myrobalan fruit, believed to have medical properties, and this an allusion to the Buddha’s healing powers.

The image stands on a round, carved, wooden lotus pedestal.

The image has been decorated with moulded lacquer-work in relief (known as thayo work) and gilding (gold leaf). It has been inlaid with small pieces of glass backed with red, green and silver foil (a process known as hman-zi swei-cha).

The edges of the robes, the forehead band and so on are all decorated with rosettes and borders of mirrored glass segments.

The image here is in fine condition. There are minor age-related losses here and there is a light shrinkage crack to the chest (but in a more humid environment, this might actually close up).

It stands on a black wooden stand.

See Fraser-Lu & Stadtner (2015, p. 168), Karow (1991, p. 71) for related images.