|
The Shan people are a distinct ethnic group that
today constitute Myanmar’s largest minority
group. However, from the 13th until the 16th
Century, they dominated most of the country.
They are largely Buddhist, and their language and
customs are closely related to the Thai and
Laotians, their neighbors to the south and east. In
the 19th Century, long after their power had
eroded, they were distributed among thirty petty
states that paid tribute first to the Burman King,
then to the British. This arrangement remained
more or less in tact until 1922 when the Federated
Shan States were joined together. In 1947, a
unified Shan States was created under the
Burmese Constitution. Although much of their
autonomy has been relinquished to the central
government, the Shan retain their unique cultural
identity and ethnic heritage.
The historical figure, Buddha Gautama Sakyamuni
is the Buddha of compassion who, having
achieved the highest evolutionary perfection,
turns suffering into happiness for all living beings.
Born around 560 B.C. somewhere between the
hills of south Nepal and the Rapti river, his father
was a Raja who ruled over the northeastern
province of India, the district including the holy
Ganges River. The young prince was married to
Yashoda when he was about 17 years old and
together they had a son named Rahula. At the age
of 29, he left his life of luxury, as he felt compelled
to purify his body and make it an instrument of the
mind by ridding himself of earthly impulses and
temptations.
The decoration adorned upon this gilt wooden
bust of Buddha reveals its sacred nature. His
downward looking eyes depict his serene state of
being, further reinforced by his sweet smile. He
also features a large pointed ushnisa, or bump, at
the top of his head that symbolizes his divine
enlightenment. The shape of this bump has been
modeled after a typical Burmese stupa, the
standard of religious architecture for Burmese
Buddhists. The majority of the gilding that once
covered this work remains intact. The general
appearance associated with the Buddha
characterizes him partly as a noble human being
and ideal ruler and partly as superhuman. The
elegance and spirituality of the Buddha is well
conceived in this work.
- (X.0249)
|
