AN INSCRIBED ALABASTER FIGURE OF BUDDHA, MANDALAY, 18TH-19TH CENTURY

AN INSCRIBED ALABASTER FIGURE OF BUDDHA, MANDALAY, 18TH-19TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve

Burma. Finely carved, the Buddha is seated in dhyanasana on a rounded base, his right hand extended in bhumisparsha mudra and his left resting in dhyana mudra. He wears a simple sanghati draped over the left shoulder, the folds falling over his chest between his legs. The face bears a serene expression with downcast eyes, delicately incised eyebrows, a broad nose, and softly rounded lips, flanked by elongated earlobes. The hair black lacquered with a high uṣhnisha.

Inscription: The base with a familiar Pali dedicatory formula written in Burmese script, 'May this merit of mine conduce to the attainment of Nirvana.'

Provenance: Collection of Kim Möller, Denmark, by 2006. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 20 years.

Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.

Important Note: For essential information on the

Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger

Condition: Good condition with expected wear and manufacturing irregularities. Tiny nicks, minor chips to some fingertips and the base, surface scratches, remnants of gilt and lacquer.

Weight: 9.6 kg
Dimensions: Height 35 cm

Buddha images carved from marble were predominantly produced in Mandalay, with two main marble quarries serving as sources: one in the Sagyin Hills to the north, and the other near Kyauk-hse, to the south of Mandalay. Marble has been used in religious sculpture in this region since at least the 17th century.

Literature comparison:
Compare a related Burmese alabaster Buddha, dated to the 18th century, 32.4 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 85.11.13. Compare a related Burmese figure of Buddha “of white stone similar to marble”, dated to the 19th century, 37.5 cm high, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number IS.53-1968.

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