Tile with design of elephant warriors from the army of Mara

This tile, produced by kilns in the vicinity of Pegu (lower Burma), originally adorned a niche of the enclosure wall of one of the temples built under the reign of King Dhammaceti (reigned 1472–92). The liveliness of expression associated with tiles from this group is embodied by these two elephant-headed warriors. Members of the monstrous army were sent by the evil Mara to disrupt the Buddha’s meditation on the eve of his enlightenment; here, the warriors dance in celebration of the Buddha’s victory. Representative of the larger group of tiles, the palette here is restricted to browns and greens against a buff-colored background. (“Highlights from the Collection: 45 Years at the Johnson,” curated by Stephanie Wiles and presented at the Johnson Museum January 27–July 22, 2018)