19th century antique Burmese sculpture of Buddhist Monk Shariputra (Sariputra
Sanskrit)(Sariputta - Pali).
This beautifully expressive rendering
of one the Buddha's two chief
disciples (the other is
Moggallana), is carved of Teak hardwood and finished in soft black lacquer laid over a cinnabar-red base coat. The edge of his robes are embellished with mirrored glass jewel insets and adorned in 'thayo' work, presented here as finely detailed swirls or scrolling.
The disciple's face is naturally
rendered, as is his seated posture. His
peaceful gaze is both calm while actively intrigued. The whites of the eyes have been made using inserts of either wax or mother-of-pearl, with the pupils
having been added with black
lacquer. He sits in the way of a Buddhist
worshipper with feet pointing behind
him and away from the focus of
veneration. His right foot rests over the
long robe which trails behind him. His left hand is held against his thigh in the Bhumisparsha Mudra. In this symbolic gesture of posture known as the "Earth witness" all five fingers are pointed toward the ground and are posed to represent and commemorate the Buddha's victory over the temptation of Mara, in his final awakening moment in which he realized enlightenment under the Bodhi tree.
These conventional Myanmar carved wooden and lacquered images were used in temples and monasteries where they were placed before images of the
Buddha as part of a shrine. It will make a fine addition to a collection as part of a shrine ensemble or as a centerpiece of it's own.
Condition is well worn, with the most obvious loss having been to the black lacquer, which does reveal the base coat in areas, and to the glass inlay adornments, of which a number are missing. The sculpting is believed to have been once gilded in 24k Gold finish, some of which remains in the pits and folds of the figure. There is a crack in the wood front-center of the sculpture; it does not however prove to jeopardize the integrity or strength of the piece as a whole, which is quite hardy. Damages are age-appropriate and it is in overall very good condition with finely seasoned patina.
Measures 20.5 × 18.5 × 15cm
8"×7.25"×6")