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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 specific type of Buddha, which is unique to
Myanmar in the oeuvre of Buddhist art, is know
as the Subdoer of Jambhupati. The flamboyant
headdress with wing-like flanges that crowns the
Buddha’s head is the hallmark of this type, which
became particularly popular from the late 18th
Century onwards. Although the Buddha wore
only monastic robes, his luxurious adornments
can be explained by an ancient legend recorded
in Pali texts. A powerful king named Jambhupati
once threatened to annex the neighboring
territory of King Bimbisara, who was a friend of
the Buddha. Buddha sent his follower Sakka to
bring forth King Jambhupati before him for
admonition. Meanwhile, the Buddha
miraculously commanded a magnificent palace
to be constructed in one night and he took his
seat upon a jeweled throne dressed in splendid
robes. When Jambhupati was brought in to meet
him, he was so overwhelmed by the wealth and
power of the Buddha that he renounced his
kingdom and became a monk.
Poised on a large lotus throne in the
characteristic seated virasana position of
meditation, this stunning bronze sculpture of the
Buddha as the Subdoer of Jambhupati emanates
a remarkable spiritual beauty and force that is
timeless in its ability to move the beholder as it
once moved the tyrant King. Each graceful hand
forms a mudra, the mystical ritual gestures that
signify various powers. The right hand is in
bhumisparsa mudra, the gesture of fearlessness,
while his left hand is in dyana mudra, the
gesture of meditation. Elaborate ornamentation
decorates the Buddha’s body, including bracelets
and a beaded necklace, and an elaborate crown
with undulating flanges and a towering central
peak surrounded by flame-like appendages. The
treatment of the flanges is somewhat unique in
Buddhist art and has its closest counterparts in
the Hindu Chola bronzes of Southern India. With
his softly modeled facial expression and ethereal
body gestures, this sculpture of the Buddha gives
us the sensation of his dramatic power and
mystical serenity that once converted King
Jambhupati. Such a complex and masterful work
of art is truly a glorious experience to behold.
- (FZ.295)
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