Antique/Vintage Bejeweled Dancer, Burma/Myanmar
$1,050.00
This exquisite carving of a Mandalay Burmese male dancer wearing a sarong Burma is set in a fluid twisted pose emphasizing his strength, balance and grace. Although there is a metal hook on the back ostensibly to attach the piece to a surface or wall, it was fashioned to be viewed in the round with carving on the back side as masterful and lyrical as the front. Bent at the elbow, his raised hand with delicate fingers is in a position similar to a Buddhist mudra. The dancer’s humble status is reflected in the finely carved peasant head scarf that holds his long hair tied in a bun. His beautiful face stares with open eyes and slightly parted lips as if he is enjoying and sharing his performance. It is in excellent condition for its age and much of the soft pastel blue and white pigment remains. It is simply a gorgeous work mounted on a contemporary frosted stand to complement any setting.
Description
Artisans from Burma/Myanmar are masterful at carvings of lyrical figures in action, whether they are dancers, nats, attendants or deities. The artistic mastery is seen in the treatment of the Burmese sarong (longyi) with delicate creases and folds of the thin diaphanous material and the zigzag scarf that flares out over his right arm as if fluttering in the wind parallels the diagonals of his upper legs and echoes the shape of the central diagonal sash that flows down across his right leg and continues as a single piece across the dancer’s back up to his shoulder and is bejeweled with inserted round red glass “jewels” (many now missing). Burmese figures are frequent adorned with inset glass and mirrors that reflect light and add movement and depth. These wood images may stand alone, but are often attached to embellish architectural religious, governmental or secular structures
Additional information
| Place of Origin | Burma/Myanmar |
|---|---|
| Period | Antique/Vintage (1910-1980) |
| Date | Early 20th Century |
| Materials and Technique | Wood, polychrome |
| Dimensions (inches) | Ht: 19.75” W: 7.75 D: 5" |
| Dimensions (metric) | Ht: 50.16cm W: 19.68cm D: 12.7cm |
| Weight | 5lb 1oz |
| Condition | Excellent, age approrpriate signs of wear |
| Reference Number | T038BLE |
| Shipping Box Size |
