Lacquered and gilded alabaster
Burma, 18th century
Meditative expression
Incised eyebrows
Ushnisha with lotus bud
Mounted (later)
Height of the head: 27 cm
Provenance: from a Belgian private collection
Fine facial features with a graceful smile

This Shan style Burmese alabaster head dates back to the 18th century. It represents the head of a Buddha Shakyamuni, rendered with fine, aristocratic facial features. He is shown with half-closed eyes, very fine incised brows and a symmetric nose. The narrow mouth accented in red forms a smile, which underlines his appearance. The lacquered and gilded hairline is visually separated from the face by two grooves and an ushnisha with a flower bud shaped ketumala crowns the top of the head. The elongated earlobes are attributes of illumination. The head of the Buddha is mounted onto a modern base.



The alabaster head is in visually attractive condition with signs of wear consistent with age. Restorations on the ears, on the ketumala, the chin and the lip are visible. The height of the head is 27 cm. Mounted the height measures 36 cm.

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