Standing Buddha Mandalay (148cm)

• Standing Buddha, carved in solid wood on a lotiform base, Burma (Myanmar), Mandalay period, early 20th century.
• The posture is natural, his serene face sketches a slight smile.
  The eyes are made of glass, adding a very present and realistic dimension to the work.
• The wood is lacquered and gilded, richly decorated with glassware, and the Enlightened One holds his monastic robe(uttarasanga) in his left hand. In his right hand, he holds the fruit of the myrobolan tree, an allusion to Buddha’s healing powers.
• A very fine copy of the collection, one of the best preserved.
• Provenance: Estate of the dealer and collector Claude de Marteau.
• Sold with certificate of origin
• H 148 cm x W 66 cm x D 23 cm (including base)
• Stand H 17 cm x W 28 cm x D 23 cm

The Mandalay Buddha is generally regarded as the 19th-century Burmese interpretation of Buddhism. Buddha statues like this one are often depicted as youthful, with an open, benevolent facial expression. His garments are richly decorated with flowers and scrolls in the thayo technique and inlaid with mirrored glass.

Period photographs of the Buddhas found at Claude de Marteau’s home.

The Burmese Buddhas before they left Claude de Marteau’s house, where they stayed for over 50 years…