The gentle face of a Buddhist monk from Burma is painted on a large leaf from a Bodhi tree. The Bodhi leaf, with its distinctive shape, is an important element of Buddhist iconography in Southeast Asia as Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment while meditating under a Bodhi (also called Bo) tree. In this painting, the monk’s expressive face appears to be looking through the leaf, adding an almost magical aura. The leaf rests on black cloth, and the work is unsigned. Painted in the late 2 ...click for details
|
