Seated Ananda
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Wood, lacquer, gilt, and glass
Dimensions
H. 13 in. (33 cm); W. 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
Burma
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Frederick P. Huntley Bequest, 1960
Accession Number
60.76
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 18th-century Burmese sculpture *Seated Ananda*, the devoted disciple of the Buddha in a serene meditative pose, embodying the spiritual depth of Theravada Buddhism prevalent in Burma (modern-day Myanmar). Crafted during a period when Burmese art flourished under royal patronage, such works adorned temples and monasteries, serving as focal points for devotion and teaching. Ananda, the's cousin and faithful attendant, is revered for memorizing and reciting the sutras at the First Buddhist Council, making him a symbol of unwavering loyalty and preservation of the Dharma. Carved fr...