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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.
This gorgeous gilt bronze Buddha is
seated in the dhyanasana position high
upon a tiered base. With his hands, the
Buddha forms the bhumisparsa mudra,
which can be literally translated as the
“gesture of touching the earth” in which
the Buddha touches the ground in order
to call on the earth to witness his
enlightenment. Calm and serene, he looks
downwards with half closed eyes. The
Buddha’s distinctive tightly curled
hairstyle is typical of Thai
representations. A flame of
enlightenment rises from the top of his
ushnisa, a bump symbolic of the Buddha’s
infinite wisdom. The sculptor has
masterfully molded the subtle folds of
fat around his neck, again indicative of
the spiritual fullness and inner peace
embodied by the Buddha. The Buddha wears
a robe decorated in floral motifs, a
type specific to the Rattanakosin era,
from the reign of Rama III onward (1824
A.D.) Overall, this exquisite sculpture
beautifully memorializes one of history
greatest holy figures.
- (X.0243)
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