Burma, 1752-1885. Seated in dhyanasana with his right hand lowered in bhumisparsa mudra and the left held above his lap, wearing a samghati draped over the left shoulder, the serene face with downcast eyes, gently arched eyebrows, and full lips forming a calm smile, flanked by elongated earlobes, the hair arranged in tight spikes with a high ushnisha.

Provenance: Harlan J. Berk Ltd., Chicago, USA, in 2011. An English private collection, acquired from the above. Harlan J. Berk is an important Chicago-based dealer of ancient coins and small antiquities. The family-owned business was founded in 1964 and remains active to this day.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, expected age cracks, minor losses, lacquer flakes, signs of weathering and erosion, wormholes underneath, remnants of gilt, old repairs to the hands, and few touchups. The cover to the aperture on the back is lost.

Weight: 4,528 g
Dimensions: Height 51.2 cm

The founding of Shan States inside the present-day boundaries of Burma began during the Pagan Kingdom in the Shan Hills and accelerated after 1287 when the Kingdom fell to the Mongols. The Tai people, who came south with the Mongols, stayed, and quickly came to dominate much of the northeastern arc of Burma. The newly founded Shan States were multi-ethnic and included minorities such as the Chin, the Kachin, the Wa, the Ta'ang, the Lisu, the Lahu, the Pa O, and the Kayah. Although Burmanized Shans founded the Ava Kingdom that ruled central Burma, other Shan States, Mohnyin in particular, constantly raided Ava territories throughout the years. A Mohnyin-led Confederation of Shan States finally conquered Ava in 1527.

In 1555, King Bayinnaung dislodged Shan king Sithu Kyawhtin from Ava. By 1557 he went on to conquer all of what would become known as the Burmese Shan States under his rule, from the Assamese border in the northwest to those in Kachin and Shan Hills, including the two most powerful Shan States, Mohnyin and Mogaung. The Shan States were reduced to the status of governorships, but the Saophas (rulers) were permitted to retain their royal regalia and their feudal rights over their own subjects. Bayinnaung introduced Burmese customary law and prohibited all human and animal sacrifices. He also required the sons of Saophas to reside in the Burmese king's palace, essentially hostages, in order to ensure the good conduct of their fathers and to receive training in Burmese court life. Burmese kings continued this policy until 1885, when the Kingdom fell to the British. In the mid-18th century, the Burmese Konbaung dynasty's reassertion of the easternmost boundaries of Burmese Shan States led to war with China, following which eight of the Chinese Shan States were briefly occupied by the Kingdom of Burma. The Burmese success in repelling Chinese forces laid the foundation for the present-day boundary between Burma and China.