Exceptional head of Buddha with urna (third eye)
Mandalay period, 19th Century
alabaster, pigment, colored glass inlay in the hairband
H33cm
The head of a very serene Buddha, made from alabaster, with half closed very expressive eyes, an urna on his forehead (very rare on alabaster Buddhas), arched eyebrows and a large ushnisha atop the head. He has elongated earlobes by wearing heavy earrings during his youth. The full lips are very sensitive.In Burma, alabaster is called sagyin, quarried in a mountain range north of Mandalay. A nice hairband in colored glass separates the hair from the forehead. This example is a beautiful evocation of the peacefulness of the Buddha, with its creamy tones inspiring compassion and wisdom.
Somkiart Lopetcharat, Myanmar Buddha: The Image and its History, Siam International Books Company Ltd., p.168
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