Standing Buddha thumbnail 1
Standing Buddha thumbnail 2
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images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Buddhism, Room 47f, The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Galleries of Buddhist Art

Standing Buddha

Statue
late 18th century - early 19th century (made)
Place of origin
Burma (made)

This image depicts the standing Buddha dressed in the robes of a Burmese monk - open mode of bare right shoulder with a partial covering by the third garment falling in cascades down the front and ending in voluminous folds which his hand holds open on his left side. His right hand is placed across his chest. His hair, the sparkling fillet and ushnisha resemble a close fitting cap finishing in a bulbous finial. He stands on an open lotus bud which is in turn supported by an elaborate sparkling waisted octagonal base.


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Buddhism
Object type
Statue
TitleStanding Buddha (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Carved in teak, overlaid with black thitsi-lacquer (Melanorrhoea usitat) and gilt. Partly decorated in the relief moulded thayo and glass inlay <i>hman-zi shwei-cha</i> technique.
Teak
Thitsi Lacquer
Gold-Leaf
Clay
Ash
Glass
Pigment
Carving
Gilding
Colouring
Glass-Working
Brief description
Standing figure of the buddha. Burmese teak lacquered and gilded Buddha. Konbaung Dynasty (1752-1885). Depicted standing in monk's robes on an elaborate base partly decorated with mirror work, late 18th/early 19th century.
Physical description
This image depicts the standing Buddha dressed in the robes of a Burmese monk - open mode of bare right shoulder with a partial covering by the third garment falling in cascades down the front and ending in voluminous folds which his hand holds open on his left side. His right hand is placed across his chest. His hair, the sparkling fillet and ushnisha resemble a close fitting cap finishing in a bulbous finial. He stands on an open lotus bud which is in turn supported by an elaborate sparkling waisted octagonal base.
Dimensions
  • Overall height: 213cm
  • Of buddha height: 156cm
  • At widest part width: 62cm
  • Weight: 100kg
Style
Konbaung
Gallery label
  • Standing Buddha 1700–1800 Theravada Buddhism came to dominate Burma and most of mainland Southeast Asia. At the heart of its teachings is the personal quest to achieve enlightenment. The Buddha himself is seen as the supreme model for this and so images of the Buddha are especially important in Theravada countries. Wearing the robes of a Burmese monk, this Buddha presses his right hand to his chest in the gesture of compassion, or maha karuna mudra. Myanmar (Burma) Teak, lacquered and gilded, with coloured glass Museum no. IM.19-1912(03/08/2015)
Credit line
Given by Mrs Charles H. Murray, Partney Rectory, Spilsby, Lincolnshire
Production
This sculpture was reportedly obtained from the Moulmein Pagoda in Amherst, between 1840-1845 by a captain in the sevice of the East India Company. This may have in fact been the Kyaikthanlan Pagoda at Moulmein which R. Kipling famously described as the Moulmein Pagoda.
Bibliographic reference
Clarke, John: Arts of Asia, vol. 45, no. 5, September - October 2015, "The Buddha image in Asia: Phase One of the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Galleries of Buddhist Art", p.119, pl. 11.
Collection
South & South East Asia Collection
Accession number
IM.19-1912

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Record createdNovember 6, 2000
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O49192/standing-buddha-statue/
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