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.
This magnificent marble head of the
Buddha dates from the declining days of
the Shan Period. Although the Buddha
only dressed in monastic robes, here he
is shown as the King of the Buddha, or
the ruler of the universe.
Iconographically, it bears much in
common with a type known as the Subduer
of Jambhupati. Specifically, the
elaborate headdress with a conical peak
that resembles a pagoda and two wing-
like flanges is characteristic of both
these types. Such images of the Buddha
are specifically unique to Myanmar,
where bejeweled, crowned representations
of Bodhisattvas were not common as in
other Buddhist countries. Thus, the
Buddha, who abandoned his royal
upbringing in order to seek the path of
enlightenment, can now be seen as a
King, not of earth, but of the heavens.
- (X.0221)
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