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Asian Art :
Art of Thailand : Rattanakosin Sculpture of a Kneeling Buddha
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Rattanakosin Sculpture of a Kneeling Buddha - PF.6246
Origin: Thailand
Circa: 19
th
Century AD
Dimensions:
15" (38.1cm) high
Collection: Asian
Medium: Gilt Bronze
Additional Information: SOLD
$3,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
After the destruction of Ayutthaya in
1767 by the
Burmese, King Tak Sin the Great drove
out the
invaders and reunified the country,
establishing a
new capital at Thonburi, a strategic
river port
town at the mouth of the Chao Phraya
River.
After Tak Sin was deposed, Thong Duang
was
chosen as king, known as Rama I,
establishing
the Chakri Dynasty which continues to
reign over
Thailand to this day. He moved the
capital
across the banks of the Chao Phraya
River to its
present location of Bangkok. The art of
this
period is known as the Rattanakosin
style,
although it is also referred to as the
Bangkok
style. Naturally, Rattanakosin art
carried on
many of the traditions of the Ayutthayan
style,
thereby establishing a link with the
past.
The historical figure, Buddha Gautama
Sakyamuni is the Buddha of compassion
who,
having achieved the highest evolutionary
perfection, turns suffering into
happiness for all
living beings. Born around 560 B.C.
somewhere
between the hills of south Nepal and the
Rapti
river, his father was a Raja who ruled
over the
northeastern province of India, the
district
including the holy Ganges River. The
young
prince was married to Yashoda when he
was
about 17 years old and together they had
a son
named Rahula. At the age of 29, he left
his life of
luxury, as he felt compelled to purify
his body
and make it an instrument of the mind by
ridding
himself of earthly impulses and
temptations.
Here, the Buddha is represented kneeling
upon a
rectangular pedestal. The Buddha
displays calm
and peaceful expression. Such expression
reveals
the clear, pure state of his mind that
is separate
from the carnal world. He wears a large
crown
that hangs down to the ears in the form
of
foliated wings. He also wears a diamond
shaped
pectoral piece, a large beaded
neckpiece, and an
ornate garment that cascades over his
body. The
wing shaped decoration motif is also
attached on
the Buddha's arms and knees. This
beautiful gilt
Buddha figure shows one's purest effort
and
energy to reach the goodness and the
rectitude
within. And as the beloved symbol of a
religion,
this gilt Buddha perhaps was placed in a
temple
or a shrine to be cherished and
worshiped.
- (PF.6246)
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