Wooden sculpture of a ‘Devi’ (goddess) from Burmese ‘Theravada Buddhism’. It is made from a piece of hard, heavy wood (probably teak wood), with court clothes, jewellery and winged crown. In front of her chest this female ‘Devi’ holds a writing tablet inscribed with Burmese characters, as well as a writing implement in her right hand. It has been accentuated with red and black lacquer. Her clothing and jewellery have been decorated using the ‘Thayo technique’ with diverse, geometric forms such as volutes, zigzag and straight lines. The ‘Thayo relief technique’ consists of a mixture of wood ash and sap from the lacquer tree. This malleable mixture is then rolled into long, thin strands, which are subsequently cut and stuck onto the wooden sculpture in different patterns. Furthermore this ‘Devi figure’ is decorated with rows and rosettes formed from white and green mirrored plates and it is gilded. Due to age some of the mirrored plates are missing and the ‘Devi’ displays some colour scuffing, more on the front side and less on the back. A very elaborately designed, decorative figure with a good, old patina.
Height: 115 cm.
Between the 19th and the early 20th centuries. (ME)