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Pair Carved Teak Burmese Nats browse these categories for related items... All Items: Antiques:Regional Art:Asian:Southeast Asian:Folk Art: Pre 1920: item # 919136 Please refer to our stock # 63-64 when inquiring.
Silk Road Gallery PO Box 2175 Branford, Connecticut 06405, USA (203) 208-0771 Guest Book $595 |
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| Two kneeling nats, possibly representing the Taungbyon brothers, among the most revered deities in the Burmese spirit world of nats, are carved with identical positions and thrones but faces that are quite different from one another. Widespread belief among the Burmese of nats, the spirits of certain departed humans, and also of nat spirits of trees, rivers, rocks and more, predates the introduction of Buddhism in Burma. Thirty-seven nats, both protectors and rogues, each with its own complex set of rules and requirements, are said to live atop Mount Popo, near Pagan, a popular pilgrimage destination. The brothers Taungbyon are honored every August with a large festival in the village of Taungbyon, near Mandalay. The world of nats, their complicated legends and the way they happily co-exist with Buddhism is uniquely and wonderfully Burmese. These two wood sculptures are uncharacteristically sedate for nat representations, which often involve colorful, even comical, expressions and attire. The carvings, of dense Burmese teak wood, are lightly coated with red/brown lacquer and sparse applications of gold leaf. Their tall tapered headpieces, robes and thrones are finely decorated in thayo, lacquer thickened with bone ash. Both of these early 20th century sculptures are in excellent condition. Dimensions of each figure: height 12” (30.5 cm), width 3” (7.6 cm), depth 3 ½” (9 cm). | |||||||||||||||
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