Burmese white marble Buddha head on stand. 

Provenance: From Fenway Gallery, Brucewood, Chicago, IL. 

Condition: Damage to base. Small cracks on head. 

Size: 13 x 11 1/4 x 25 in. 

#2280 . 

Buddhism, specifically Theravāda Buddhism, is the official and state religion of Myanmar (formerly Burma) since 1961, practiced by nearly 90% of the population. It is the most religious Buddhist country in terms of the proportion of monks in the population and proportion of income spent on religion. The most popular path taken by Buddhists in the country is Merit-Making, the observance of the Five Precepts and accumulation of good deeds and charity to achieve a favorable rebirth. Vipassana Meditation (retreating into the mind to find awakenings) is the next most common, with the occult focused Weikza path (with recitation of spells and alchemy) less so. Buddhism likely spread through Burma in the 3rd Century BC, becoming the dominant religion of the area by the 4th Century AD. Fragmentation of the religion began in the 14th Century after the Mongol invasion, and when the British conquered the country fully in 1886 Christian missionaries threatened to eradicate it. The people responded by engaging in a mass reform movement that made Burmese nationalism virtually inseparable from the Buddhist identity. In 1948 the country gained its independence in no small part due to the work of monks, and since the military junta took power in 1989 and changed the name of the country to Myanmar the religion has kept the nation from collapsing completely, due to the shared spiritual identity fostered against colonialism.

Damage to base. Small cracks on head.