Burmese Cast Bronze of Mother & Child: ‘Learning to Walk,’ Signed by Maung Hpo Hla

This fine example of an early 20th century Pegu bronze shows a mother in traditional Burmese dress and hairstyle, supporting her infant by the arms as the child learns to walk.

The sculpture is attached to its original wooden stand. The casting is sympathetic and well observed – the universality of joy as expressed in the bronze is a delight.

The plate on which the group stands has marked with the words ‘MG. HPO. HLA PEGU’. This is the mark for Maung Hpo Hla, arguably the finest bronze caster working in Pegu in the 1920s and 30s.

Figurines such as these were bought by British administrators and their families in Burma as souvenirs and gifts for friends on their return home. As Fraser Lu (1994, p. 143) says, some examples barely rise above tourist kitsch but others, such as the example shown here, with its sense of proportion, realism and attention to detail is a minor masterpiece of bronze casting. It is a testament to the ingenuity and flexibility of Burma’s master craftsmen during the colonial era who were able to produce high quality items for local, as well as expatriate, consumption.

The item is in excellent condition.

 

Above: Two photographs of a collection of Pegu bronzes we previously sold to Singapore’s National Gallery, as displayed in the National Gallery.