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Hi,
We recently bought four statues (three Buddha's). I just want to confirm what we bought them as. So any ideas and knowledge on their age, origin, etc will be very welcome and appreciated.
Attached to this message are three Buddha's. I will attach the other statue (not Buddha) by replying to this message.
Thank you very much,
Soe Lwin

Here is the other one that I mentioned in my previous message. Any idea on its age and origin?
Thanks very much

Hello U Soe Lwin,

I'd hoped to be able to find some additional information in my collection of 'Arts of Asia' magazines, but they and I are in a greater than usual state of disarray due to an ongoing project that requires a considerable devotion of time. So instead I offer just a few impressions of your images, beginning with the Buddhas from the top.

The first one may represent one of the periods at Pagan. which is a subject about which I have little firsthand information. You might be able to verify it by comparison with Buddha images pictured at trocadero.com which has a keyword search capability.

The second is a Shan version of the so-called Jambupati Buddha (I'm sure you know the story but there's lots of other info on-line). The natural looking patina suggests it may have been buried for quite a while. I'd guess it to be 19th century or older based on other Shan bronzes I've seen and handled.

The lower Buddha image usually is called Mandalay style, named for the period before British colonization in the late 19th C., when Burma was ruled from that city. This is a very common style of image that is still made today in Burma and across the border in Thailand. The black color and fairly well defined detail of the upper portion reminds me of a miscast image that was put out somewhere in the elements to age before selling as antique. I can't think of any other reason right offhand for the differences in condition among various parts of this casting.

The last image looks like it comes from India and has a natural looking patina suggestive of a 19th century dating. That's about all I can tell except that such bronzes aren't or at least weren't uncommon in the major cities of Burma, which the British treated as an eastern province of India until granting independence in 1948. Many of the bureaucrats who staffed colonial offices there had been transferred from 'Delhi'.

Good luck,

Bill H.

Dear Bill H.,

Thank you for your post. I am very new (just under 4 months) in antiques, so I learn a lot from your posts (not just on my questions).

You were either in Burma for a long time (how long were you here and when?) or know a lot of Burmese since you are the only one that I have ever met online (outside of Burmese forums) who can tell I am male and Burmese (from your usage of 'U'). I am 26 (not so old!), so Maung (Mg) might be a better prefix instead of 'U'. However, I do not mind with this since this is a way of showing respect to strangers.

Anyway, back on topic, the seller (from Bago, Myanmar if you have been there) said that they all come from underground. He's been a long time acquaintance of my relatives and since he bought it from others (before selling it to us), I am sure it isn't intentional if they don't turn out as he described.

I thought the first one is probably Chinese. The last time I was in Pagan was more than 10 years ago and I wasn't into antiques at that time, so I can't recall much. (And I was abroad for the past 6 years.)So you can be right. The seller also mentioned it as Burmese.

Your description of second and third Buddha's doesn't differ much from what he said either. The third one could come from the Burma-Thailand border where fake Burmese antiques are made or similar methods could have been employed to make it looks old. I will ask others for their opinions also about it.

The fourth was bought as Late Pyu or early Pagan piece. Pyu, being not considered as 'real' Burmese, could make pieces which are more similar to Indian or even Chinese. It could indeed have come from India (not Burmese) as you definitely have more knowledge than the seller and I do. What could this piece refer to? Is it a young Gautama Buddha before he was enlightened (as the seller said)? Or some some sort of spiritual or heroic figure?

Once again, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and knowledge. As you probably know, in this country, very few, except a few elite collectors who I do not know, understand antiques well. I have thus to rely most on reading online.

All the best,
Soe Lwin

Hello U Soe Lwin,

Sorry to be so long between posts, but I've had a quite unsettled schedule lately.

My knowledge of Pyu antiquities is just about zero. Perhaps the Pyu were influenced by Hinduism, as the fourth image appears to be of the deity Krishna. I've included a link below to another similar image. In any event, yours seems to have some age, based on its honest looking patina.

I made a couple of visits to Bago and remember the experience fondly. It was one of the few places diplomats were permitted to drive their personal automobiles from Yangon at the time, which incidentally was before you were born. However, at your age, I still think you rate more than a 'maung'.

Cheers,

Bill H.

URL Title :Krishna

Last one is definitively indian. A south indian bronze murti representing baby Krishna crawling with a butter ball in his hand. Late 18th - Mid 19th. Quite common in India.

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