Buddha Head Sculpture

Media: white marble carving with gold and black pigment
Cat no: BSARM003
Origin: Burma
Age:18th c
Measurement (WxDxH): 7x7x18"

Carved with a single block of white marble and painted with gold and black pigments, the sculpture is in a Burmese style locally known as the “Shan-style”. The “Shan-style” is characterized by the typical bell shape of the usnisa (turban) the Buddha wears on his head and his iconic and serene facial expression. After the Burmese capital was moved to Ava in 1636 during the Second Empire of the Taungoo dynasty (1551-1752), Buddha images were increasingly made of marble with a smooth finish on the surface and the minimum decoration rendered the image a simple and pure appearance.