Crowned male figure, gesturing or dancing
1850–1925
Burma
Painted wood, lacquer, gilding, and mirrored glass
Gift of the Donald W. Perez Family in memory of Margaret and George W. Haldeman, 2008.87.1

Who are these figures (nos. 9 and 10), with their princely garments, dancelike movements, and rather wistful expressions? One gestures with open arms; the other assumes a position of respect. They must be minor deities or celestial beings of some sort because in traditional Burmese contexts mortals, even kings, were rarely represented in sculpture. They might be two of the thirty-seven nats—a group of powerful spirits who need to be pacified with offerings—but their characteristics do not match those of any of the thirty-seven as recorded in manuals.

Other possible identities are Indra and Brahma, who reverently attend the Buddha at a number of moments in his legendary life, and two of the four guardian kings of the directions, who also sometimes attend the Buddha.