Antique Jeweled Buddha Jambupati, Burma/Myanmar

Description

In Burma and some Thai areas, Shakyamuni-Buddha is depicted as he is here in lavish royal robes in a style known as the Jambupati-Buddha. In traditional Theravada Buddhism, a Buddha-Statue is depicted in simple monks robes representing his renunciation of worldly goods and desires and his sacrifices from rejecting crown prince heritage. According to legends, haughty King Jambupati wished to be the most powerful ruler in the world and threatened Buddha’s follower King Bimbisara. Buddha appealed to Jambupati to forsake his evil ways and when he refused, Buddha used his magical powers to turn himself into a “king-of-kings” (rajadhiraja). Overwhelmed by Buddha’s magnificence, the king renounced his throne and attained enlightenment as Buddha’s disciple. Jambupati is depicted as here in lavish Burmese court attire including jewels and gloves and wears an elaborate round faceted crown with huge butterfly-shaped flanges extending.  Buddha’ brilliance  is emphasized by the dazzling gilt covering his body and the small multi-colored cut glass pieces described as “bejeweled” inset on the fillet band, flanges, and his kingly garment. A large cone-shaped finial emerges from his ushnisha, and his pendulous ears frame his slightly smiling face. He looks directly at onlookers with strength to demonstrate his spiritual and material power seated in padmasana with the left hand in his lap in meditation (dhyana) mudra. He reaches his oversized right hand with thin, even-lengthened fingers (reflecting Buddhist tenets) over his knee to touch the earth in bhumisparsha (Earth Witnessing) gesture to call the demon-king Mara, who sought to deny him his awakening, to witness the moment of his enlightenment. He sits on an extremely high waisted multi-tiered throne with inset bands of cut glass rimmed by gold edges set in a crimson base considered a sign of respect for his royal and spiritual position, especially in Southeast Asia where rulers had been revered as semi-divine figures. This story reinforces the belief that even the most powerful monarch must defer to and worship the Buddha, the “King of Kings.” This delicately carved  Buddhist-Sculpture with red and gold pigments covered in a thin lacquer coating is in excellent condition with almost all the lacquer and inset glass and mirror decorations extant.  The bottom of the throne is slightly jagged reflecting its age and use over time. Although there are many modern Burmese-Carvings of the Jambupati Buddha, antique ones extremely rare.

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