BILU Burma/Myanmar Pre-Mandalay Period Late 18th Century or early 19th Century Carved wood, lacquered, with mirror inlay h. 19 7/8 in., w. 11 13/16 in., d. 8 3/4 in. Current Location- Northern Illinois University Collections Gift of Konrad and Sarah Bekker, 1987 BC87.01.04.00

Elbow resting against and in front of dexter knee with forearm and hand curved in towards sinister heel. Sinister arm is bent with hand raised as if holding an object, which is now missing. A short wooden column joining upper leg and elbow supports elbow. Feet and toes are carved in detail. Wears regal attire and bracelets. Headdress and has flame-like motif on top. Large flame like motif extends upward and backward. Regal attire, bracelets and headdress were originally lacquered, gilded and inlayed. Panel of cloth hanging down from waist in front of figure rests on the ground and sinister leg lies over cloth panel. Face has ogre-like features. Nose is large and round. Large mouth with teeth bared and there are two large fangs extending upward over lip. Inlayed and gilded flame or leaf like patterns around the eyes and around entire mouth cover almost the entire face. Phalanges on ears were also originally gilded and inlayed. Seated on a base, which does not extend beyond figure, plain oval and flat 1-inch high disk. Inlay consists of large chunky pieces of glass cut in triangles, squares and rectangles. They are green, opaque and yellow. One of a pair, see BC 87.1.6. This image has no impressions on the chest as does BC 87.1.6 and only traces of white jesso-like substance appear on the legs/pants. There is a line of red lacquer 9r paint on the waisted part of the headdress. The thickness and chunkiness of the glass, its colors as well as the less sophisticated craftsmanship and the way the thayo surrounds the fragments may indicate that this pair of images are pre-Mandalay period, late 18th century or early 19th century.