A large glass inlaid and lacquered wood ceiling panel

Myanmar, late 19th-early 20th century

Myanmar, late 19th-early 20th century
70 x 70in (177.8 x 177.8cm)

In a recent exhibition catalog, Sylvia Fraser-Lu discuss the context, intricacy, and symbolism of the present lot:

'This ceiling board was used to hide the internal view of the carpentry involved in the construction and support of triple-tiered zetuwan, or towering multi-tiered pyathat roofing structures, which crowned traditional religious wooden architecture such as pagoda pavilions (tazaung and monasteries (pongyi-kyuang). European-inspired innovation is evident in the application of traditional chu-pan openwork arabesques, lotus petal bands of scrolling, and leik-pya/linno-daung leaflike corner ornament, cut from thin sheets of wood with narrow, fine-toothed fretsaws, rather than carved from a single slab of teak. Division between the various bands of scrolling have been highlighted by glass inlay embedded in lacquer and arranged in concentric lines of diminishing dimensions that serve to frame the raised central motif - a lotus in full bloom, also embellished at the center with slivers of glass. Such a ceiling board usually appears above the most scared area of a building, such as over a shrine or hall where sermons are delivered. As a leitmotif for purity and the Buddhist religion, the open lotus continues to serves as a reminder to adherents to slough off the bonds of greed anger, lust, passion, and ego and grow toward becoming truly enlightened beings...For further examples of carved ceiling boards in monasteries,' see Fraser-Lu, Splendour in Wood, [Bangkok, 2001], pp.95, 99, and 202.

Exhibited
Buddhist Art of Myanmar, Asia Society Museum, New York, 10 February-10 May 2015.

Published
Sylvia Fraser-Lu & Donald Stadtner (eds.), Buddhist Art of Myanmar, New York, 2015, pp.194-5, no.55.

Provenance
The Krannich Collection, Virginia
Acquired from Iyara Art, Chiang Mai in 1993