|
HOME :
Asian Art :
Art of Myanmar (Burma) : Pair of Mandalay Wooden Men Carrying a Palanquin
|
 |
|
|
|
Pair of Mandalay Wooden Men Carrying a Palanquin - X.0218
Origin: Myanmar
Circa: 19
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
37.375" (94.9cm) high
x 10.5" (26.7cm) wide
Collection: Asian
Medium: Wood
Additional Information: Asia Art (Thailand) 2002
$9,000.00
Location: United States
|
|
|
| Description |
The Mandalay Period represents the last
great cultural flourishing of Burmese
art. The period was named after the
city of Mandalay, which served as
capital of Myanmar for a brief period
(1860-1885 A.D.) during the reign of
King Mindon. After the Anglo-Burmese
Wars, northern Myanmar was shut off from
the coastal areas that were controlled
by the British. King Mindon founded the
new capital at a sacred site at the foot
of a large hill. The center of the city
was designed in the perfect geometrical
form of a Buddhist Mandala, giving the
city its name. Although this short-
lived kingdom finally fell to the
British forces in 1886 A.D. during the
Third Anglo-Burmese War, the Royal
Guilds that created such remarkable
works of art for the King remained in
the city where they continued to produce
sculptures in the Mandalay style.
This pair of wooden sculptures depicts
two men standing with one arm bent
upwards, their hands help out at
shoulder height, and their other arm
hanging at their side. This pair would
have once carried a palanquin, which has
since disappeared. They stand on lotus
bases and feature the round faces and
horizontal features characteristic of
the Mandalay style. They step forward
as if they are in the midst of a
procession, and we can imagine a series
of similar figures following behind
them. There are some remnants of
polychrome pigment that would have once
covered the pieces and enhanced their
vitality.
- (X.0218)
|
| |
|
