Vadas József (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 10. (Budapest, 1991)

Új szerzemények 1987-1989 - Hopp Ferenc Kelet-Ázsiai Művészeti Múzeum

7. Man on horseback Wood carving. Burma, 19th century. Height 37 cm, width 34 cm Inv. No. 89.10 (gift of Mr. and Mrs. József Herendi) The mounted male figure wears characteristic Burmese attire, i.e. a short jacket with a girdle, "trousers" twisted over between the legs and tucked in the girdle at the front, with typical Burmese headgear bound around with a piece of cloth. He sits barefoot in the saddle without stirrups, in a self-confident, easy pose, his face toward the spectator looking sideways and a little downward, with his right hand holding the bridle, while the left hand is lifted as though prepared to strike. (Something is missing from the hand : perhaps a weapon.) The prancing (or galloping) horse stands on its hind legs and has a fringed bridle. Its side is covered by a saddle-cloth. The saddle is bent upwards at the front like a pillow. The movement of the rider and the horse are in perfect harmony with one another. The darting movement of the horse is stressed by the fluttering of the rider's jacket and headgear, as well as by the elegant (stylized) shaping of the mane and tail; the tail, reaching to the bottom contributes to the stability of the statue, too. Beside the hind legs and the tailes a fourth supporting point has been formed by a part of the base, a sturdy bough with acanthus leaves, supporting the statue beneath the chest. The irregular form of the base and the acanthus leaves point to the probability that the statue was originally a part of an ornamental carving, of a complex composition of considerable size. When in its original place the statue certainly could not have been seen from all sides: it was meant to be seen from one side only, as the details on the far side are left unformed. The original positioning of the statue may have been in the open air, before the wall or the railings of a shrine:* the surface is rather weatherbeaten - of the original paint only some traces are left. These traces show, however, several coats of paint, i.e. the paint must have been renewed from time to time : on the base, red paint appears in one place from under the remains of some green paint. The place of origin is not known ; neither the name of the hero represented. The mythical story associated with it requires further research work. (Mária Ferenczy) * An ornamental carving of similar character (with a mounted demon in it) from the Shwedagon pagoda is shown in: N. Oshegowa und S. Oshegow: Kunst in Burma. 2000 Jahre Architektur, Malerei und Plastik im Zeichen des Buddhismus und Animismus. Leipzig 1988. III. No. 117.