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 | KINNARA (MALE) Burma/Myanmar Mandalay Period, 19th Century Carved wood, lacquered gilded with mirror inlay h. 56 1/2 in., w. 22 5/8 in., d. 26 3/8 in. Gift of Konrad and Sarah Bekker, 1987 BC87.01.01 |
Kinnari and Kinnara are mythical creatures who are thought to live in the Himalayas and who came to Burma with the spread of Buddhism. They are half-human, half-bird dancers, musicians, and choristers. Benevolent spirits, the Kinnara as well as their female consorts, the Kinnari, are known to watch over humans in time of danger. A particularly fine pair of monumental Kinnari and Kinnara figures in the Burma Collection are covered with a mosaic of colored glass, a technique typical of the Mandalay style.
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 | KINNARI (FEMALE) Burma/Myanmar Mandalay Period, 19th Century Carved wood, lacquered gilded with mirror inlay h. 97 cm., w. 36 cm. Gift of Konrad and Sarah Bekker, 1987 BC87.01.02 |
Kinnari and Kinnara are mythical creatures who are thought to live in the Himalayas and who came to Burma with the spread of Buddhism. They are half-human, half-bird dancers, musicians, and choristers. Benevolent spirits, the Kinnara as well as their female consorts, the Kinnari, are known to watch over humans in time of danger. A particularly fine pair of monumental Kinnari and Kinnara figures in the Burma Collection are covered with a mosaic of colored glass, a technique typical of the Mandalay style.
