Myanmar Sandstone Sandstone Buddha head – Pagan Period (Bagan) - 13.5 cm
12
days
00
hours
42
minutes
55
seconds
Current bid
€ 550
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 7,500 - € 8,500
 | €550 | |
|---|---|---|
| €500 | |
 | €15 | |
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Rare head of a sandstone Buddha from Pagan period (Bagan), Burma, dating to the 11th–12th century; original, in good condition with a modern wooden base, dimensions 13.5 × 9 × 11.5 cm.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Rare sandstone Buddha head – Burma, Pagan (Bagan) period, 11th–12th century
Rare sandstone Buddha head belonging to the great sculptural tradition of Pagan (Bagan), one of the main centers of Buddhist creation in medieval Burma during the 11th–13th centuries. Fragments from this period, and particularly heads that retain such legibility of the face, are rarely seen on the market.
The Buddha is depicted with an expression of profound serenity: elongated, semi-closed eyes, arched brows following the line of the nose, a raised ūrṇā, delicately modeled mouth, long earlobes, and hair arranged in small regular curls around the ushnisha. These features find parallels in ancient Buddhist sculpture of Bagan, notably conserved in the Bagan Archaeological Museum.
The face preserves a notably expressive modeling despite the piece’s age. The reverse is deliberately worked more coarsely, indicating that the sculpture was designed primarily for a frontal or three-quarter view, probably in an architectural or devotional context.
The stone shows an even ancient patina and natural weathering, with abrasions and old losses, particularly in the upper part of the coiffure. No modern restoration of the face has been observed and no definite ancient polychromy is preserved. The head is today presented on a slim modern wooden base.
Provenance: former private collection in Bavaria, formed between 1965 and 1985, according to the provenance published previously.
Dimensions: 13.5 × 9 × 11.5 cm.
Total height with base: 21.5 cm.
Weight: 1,489.5 g, including base.
The piece has undergone a documented comparative study and a MIMOSA certificate, drawing in particular on published scientific works dedicated to Bagan Buddhist sculpture and on works kept in museum collections of Myanmar.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/78y3begkk7fvrboljkc8h/ACO1bOL8RvP2ulIh6a78SEM?rlkey=jcrj9avrwmx6xcgauhfmfzn7q&dl=0
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateRare sandstone Buddha head – Burma, Pagan (Bagan) period, 11th–12th century
Rare sandstone Buddha head belonging to the great sculptural tradition of Pagan (Bagan), one of the main centers of Buddhist creation in medieval Burma during the 11th–13th centuries. Fragments from this period, and particularly heads that retain such legibility of the face, are rarely seen on the market.
The Buddha is depicted with an expression of profound serenity: elongated, semi-closed eyes, arched brows following the line of the nose, a raised ūrṇā, delicately modeled mouth, long earlobes, and hair arranged in small regular curls around the ushnisha. These features find parallels in ancient Buddhist sculpture of Bagan, notably conserved in the Bagan Archaeological Museum.
The face preserves a notably expressive modeling despite the piece’s age. The reverse is deliberately worked more coarsely, indicating that the sculpture was designed primarily for a frontal or three-quarter view, probably in an architectural or devotional context.
The stone shows an even ancient patina and natural weathering, with abrasions and old losses, particularly in the upper part of the coiffure. No modern restoration of the face has been observed and no definite ancient polychromy is preserved. The head is today presented on a slim modern wooden base.
Provenance: former private collection in Bavaria, formed between 1965 and 1985, according to the provenance published previously.
Dimensions: 13.5 × 9 × 11.5 cm.
Total height with base: 21.5 cm.
Weight: 1,489.5 g, including base.
The piece has undergone a documented comparative study and a MIMOSA certificate, drawing in particular on published scientific works dedicated to Bagan Buddhist sculpture and on works kept in museum collections of Myanmar.
video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/78y3begkk7fvrboljkc8h/ACO1bOL8RvP2ulIh6a78SEM?rlkey=jcrj9avrwmx6xcgauhfmfzn7q&dl=0
Seller's Story
MIMOSA SA — EXPERTISE, RESEARCH AND TRANSMISSION
For more than 26 years, I have been working as an art dealer specializing in ancient Asian arts. My work is not simply to offer objects: it is to observe them, to understand them, to study them and to document them before passing them to a new collector.
Each work presented by Mimosa SA undergoes thorough examination. Depending on its nature, this study may concern the iconography, the style, the proportions, the material, the execution techniques, surface traces, patina, the condition, restorations, provenance as well as relevant bibliographic, museum or archaeological comparisons. When justified, additional scientific analyses may also be undertaken.
Our approach rests on the experience of sight, gained from direct contact with the works for over two decades, but also on methodical and constantly renewed research. We always favor a cautious, coherent and argued attribution rather than a seductive but insufficiently substantiated assertion.
Transparency is at the heart of our approach. The wear, gaps, accidents, ancient restorations or more recent interventions are reported as precisely as possible. When an attribution carries uncertainty or remains a working hypothesis, it is clearly presented as such.
Present on Catawiki since 2016, we have chosen to maintain a regular selection of works there in order to meet international collectors who value authenticity, knowledge and quality of documentation.
Each acquisition is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued under our professional responsibility. For the most important works, this certificate takes the form of a genuine study dossier gathering the main technical, stylistic, iconographic, historical and bibliographic observations made during our research.
The same standard applies to shipping. Over the years, we have developed a packaging method adapted to old, fragile, heavy or complex-shaped objects. Each work is protected, immobilized and carefully packaged, according to its material and its particularities. The shipping costs correspond to the real needs for protection, handling, insurance and secure transport. Shipping is never regarded as a source of commercial profit.
Acquiring a work from Mimosa SA is to receive a selected, studied, described, documented and prepared object with the same care that we would wish for a work destined for our own collection.
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Culture
Myanmar
Century/timeframe
XIe–XIIe siècle – Période de Pagan (Bagan), Birmanie
Name of object
Sandstone Buddha head – Pagan Period (Bagan)
Acquired from
Auction house
Year acquired
2024
Material
Sandstone
Country acquired from
Austria
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Gallery / Antique dealer
Height
13.5 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1985
Width
9 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Germany
Depth
11.5 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
