Page 18 - Chinese Art Bonhams San Francisco December 18, 2017

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A LARGE GLASS INLAID AND LACQUERED WOOD CEILING by glass inlay embedded in lacquer and arranged in concentric lines of
PANEL diminishing dimensions that serve to frame the raised central motif - a
Myanmar, late 19th-early 20th century lotus in full bloom, also embellished at the center with slivers of glass.
70 x 70in (177.8 x 177.8cm) Such a ceiling board usually appears above the most scared area of
a building, such as over a shrine or hall where sermons are delivered.
As a leitmotif for purity and the Buddhist religion, the open lotus
$4,000 - 6,000 continues to serves as a reminder to adherents to slough off the bonds
of greed, anger, lust, passion, and ego and grow toward becoming
In a recent exhibition catalog, Sylvia Fraser-Lu discuss the context, truly enlightened beings...For further examples of carved ceiling boards
intricacy, and symbolism of the present lot: in monasteries,’ see Fraser-Lu, Splendour in Wood, [Bangkok, 2001],
pp.95, 99, and 202.
‘This ceiling board was used to hide the internal view of the carpentry
involved in the construction and support of triple-tiered zetuwan, Exhibited
or towering multi-tiered pyathat roofing structures, which crowned Buddhist Art of Myanmar, Asia Society Museum, New York, 10
traditional religious wooden architecture such as pagoda pavilions February-10 May 2015.
(tazaung) and monasteries (pongyi-kyuang). European-inspired
innovation is evident in the application of traditional chu-pan openwork Published
arabesques, lotus petal bands of scrolling, and leik-pya/linno-daung Sylvia Fraser-Lu & Donald Stadtner (eds.), Buddhist Art of Myanmar,
leaflike corner ornament, cut from thin sheets of wood with narrow, New York, 2015, pp.194-5, no.55.
fine-toothed fretsaws, rather than carved from a single slab of teak.
Division between the various bands of scrolling have been highlighted Provenance
The Krannich Collection, Virginia
Acquired from Iyara Art, Chiang Mai in 1993

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