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 stucco head of Buddha reveals
its sacred nature. His downward looking
eyes, painted black and framed by thick
black eyebrows, 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 spiky-haired 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. Remnants of the original
polychrome highlights survive intact,
including the black eyes and eyebrows as
well as the brown hair. 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.0225)
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