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.
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 luxurious gilt wooden
frame decorated with inlaid glass that
surrounds the Buddha is a reminder that
such sculptures did not exist by
themselves, but were the focal points of
temples and shrines. Although this work
is still removed from its natural
context, the frame helps convey how this
Buddha would have related to his
original setting. This tall work is
clearly meant to dominate the spectator
with both its size and its splendor.
This magnificent sculpture of the Buddha
was surely once the focal point of a
Mandalay shrine that would have captured
the eyes and hearts of the faithful with
its artistic beauty and spiritual
brilliance.
- (X.0223)
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