Monumental Shan Burmese Gilt Lacquer Buddha Head, Early 20th Century

This monumental dry lacquer and gilt head would originally have been part of a larger-than-life-sized statue of the Buddha.
The warm, richly gilt face of the Buddha is beautifully welcoming and serene. He stares blissfully and eternally into the distance from shell inlaid eyes under high, arched brows. His lips turned up in a secret smile.
The Buddha’s full, round face is also framed by long, pendulous earlobes that hang down to touch his shoulders. Long earlobes are a reminder of the Buddha’s princely and noble past. His hair comprised of small lacquer “spikes”, typical of Shan Burmese artistry.
The top of the Buddha head rises to a pronounced ushnisha, a large bump, and one of the major identifying marks of the Buddha. The ushnisha is further topped by a tall, removable carved wood finial in the form of a lotus bud.

This Buddha head is crafted in the dry lacquer technique, in which a mold is sculpted from paper pulp (papier mâché), then covered with layers upon layers of lacquer – a process that can take months, or even years, as each lacquer layer must dry completely before the next one is applied. During this long application and drying process, the paper mold disintegrates, leaving only the outer shell of pure lacquer, which is then gilt and further embellished.

Measures: Height of head only 24″ (15″ without finial)
Mounted on a custom wooden stand.