A Buddha image in Thailand typically refers to three dimensional stone, wood, clay, or metal cast images of the Buddha. While there are such figures in all regions where Buddhism is commonly practiced, the appearance, composition and position of the images vary greatly from country to country.
Dvaravati period
During the Dvaravati period (seventh through eleventh centuries), there were two factions of Buddhism practiced in the region that now encompasses present day Thailand, namely Mahayana and Theravada. The types of images constructed during this era reflects the distinction. Much of the basis for the Buddhist artwork of the Dvaravati period was influence from Buddhist art in India, including the Amaravati and Gupta styles, although there was also local and Khmer influence. Such images include the following classical archetypes:
Buddha in the Tribhanga (leaning) position with somewhat Indian facial features and no aureole. The right hand is typically free, while the left is depicted grasping the Buddha's robe.
Buddha in the Amaravati style with loosely folded legs and a lotus shaped aureole. Such statues have a continuous eyebrow, a flat nose and thick lips. Square faced cleft chin Buddha with some Khmer features. Legs are typically fully folded. The Buddha sits on a lotus base.
Sri Vijaya images
Sri Vijaya images are found in southern Thailand. They were constructed between the eighth and thirteenth centuries. Typically, they reflect the teachings of the Mahayana school of Buddhism. Unlike other Thai Buddha images, Sri Vijaya images were generally made of clay, with less emphasis on durability, as their purpose was to benefit the deceased, rather than perpetuate the teachings of the Buddha.
Lopburi images
Lopburi images date back to the eleventh century. They are typically found in Northeast Thailand, and their style is essentially similar to Cambodian Buddha images. Such images typically have a cone-shaped cranial protuberance in the form of tiers of lotus petals. The hair depicted in the images is considerably more realistic than the hair of the Dvaravati images, and may be either straight or curly. The face of the Buddha typically has a small smile, while the earlobes are in unusually large proportion relative to the rest of the face, often hanging down nearly to the image's shoulders. A second Lopburi style is the Naga Protected Buddha with the heads of Naga forming a protective taper around the Buddha's head.
Chiang Sean Style Buddha image
Chiang Saen and Lanna images were created in northern Thailand between the tenth and thirteenth centuries. Early images were similar to the Pala style Buddha images of India, with lotus bud or orb shaped hair curls, round faces, narrow lips and prominent chests. Such images were usually in the subduing Mara position, cross-legged, with the soles of the Buddha's feet visible. Many later Chiang Saen and Lanna images began to be constructed from crystals and gemstones.
Sukhothai period
Phra Achana, Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai Art
During the Sukhothai period (fourteenth century), the style of the Thai Buddha images radically changed due to the influx of new ideas from Sri Lankan Buddhism. Buddha images were cast with the intention of depicting superhuman traits of the Buddha, and were designed to express compassion and serenity in posture and facial expression. The Sukhothai period witnessed the innovation of the four modern postures of the Thai Buddha, i.e. walking, standing, sitting and reclining. Images often had a flame-shaped aureole, finely curled hair, a slight smile, broad shoulders and an oval face. A common pose was the subduing Mara, with the Buddha is seated on a plain base. Notable variations within the Sukhothai period include the Kamphaengpet, the Phra Buddha Chinnarat (such as the most famous Chinnarat at Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahatat Woramahawihan), and the Wat Ta Kuan groups of images.
U Thong images
There are three categories of U Thong images from the twelfth through fifteenth century in central Thailand. The first such style was a fusion of the Dvaravati and Khmer style images. They would typically adorn a lotus bud aureole and Khmer facial features. The second style was similar to the Lopburi images. The third and most recent U Thong style had considerable influence from the Sukhothai images, but often had hair bands unique to U Thong images.
Ayutthaya period
Ayutthaya images were created between the tenth and eighteenth centuries. They had a unique hair frame and tell-tale narrow carvings above the lips and eyes. Early Ayutthaya images were carved in stone with heavy influence from the Lopburi images. Middle Ayutthaya images were similar to the Sukhothai images, and were in similar poses. During this period, the images were often cast in Bronze, and the size of the images were often large. In the late Ayutthaya period, the images typically depicted the Buddha in royal attire, and the bases of the images bore ornate design.
Modern Thai Buddha images
In modern times, Buddha images are often replicas of images from the Sukhothai and other early periods, often more ornately and elaborately adorned. Faces in new innovative depictions are typically more realistic and human-like. An elongated flame aureole is popular. Robes depicted in modern images often depict floral designs. The Indian Gandhara style, as well as western art have also influenced many of the modern images.
Bunleua Sulilat's concrete sculpture gardens (Buddha Park and Sala Keoku) give an example of contemporary highly creative and unconventional artistic treatment of Buddhist subjects.
Below is my compilation of Buddha images style that ever found in Thailand or Siam in the past. I will give description every Buddha image.
Phra Sakyasingh, seated cross - legged in the Attitude of Subduing Mara, In the Style of the Chieng Saen period. Found at Chieng Saean.
An image of the Buddha seated cross - legged in the Attitude of subduing Mara, in the style of Chieng saen period. Found at wat Bang Plu, Thonburi.
A standing Buddha in the Attitude of forbidding his relatives to fight one another in the style of Sukhothai. Found at Wat Bang o Chang, Nondaburi Province.
An image of the Buddha seated cross - legged in the Attitude of subduing Mara, In the Style of the style of the Chiengsaen period. Found at Wat Siripanna, In the North-western circle.
A standing Buddha, of indian style, Cast and enlarged from an ancient model, which was dug up in the Korat Province.
An image of the Buddha seated cross - legged in the Attitude Subduing himself by fasting this image. Which shows the (Greek) style of Gandhara Sculptures, was cast after a stone original kept in the museum at Lahore, pakistan
A standing Buddha in the Attitude of Calming the ocean in the style of Ayutthaya period. Found at Wat Yai, Phetchaburi province.
An image of the Buddha seated cross - legged in the Attitude of subduing Mara, in the style Chieng saen period. Found at Wat Phra Kong, Lamphun province.
A standing Buddha in the attitude of forbidding his relatives to fight one - another, In the style of the Lopburi period. Found at Phetchaburi province.
A standing Buddha, In the Attitude of calming the ocean. In the style of the Ayutthaya period. Found at phetchaburi province.
A walking Buddha in the style of Sukhodaya period, From Wat Mahathat Bangkok.
A walking Buddha, in the style of the Sukhothai period, From Wat Ratchadhani, Sukhothai province.
An image of the Buddha, sitting cross - legged, In the attitude of subduing Mara, of Burmese Style. Found at Pagan.
A standing Buddha in the attitude of the style of the Lopburi period, Cast and Enlarged from an ancient model.
An image of the Buddha sitting cross - legged in the attitude of subduing Mara, of Burmese style, from Rangoon.
A standing Buddha in the Attitude of forbidding his relative to fight one another, in the style of the U Thong period, cast from a reduced model of the Image on the pediment of the "Bot" at Wat Rajadhivas.
An image of the Buddha sitting cross - legged in the attitude of subduing Mara, of Burmese style, Found at Mandalay.
A standing Buddha in the Attitude of Blessing, In the style of the Sukhothai period, Cast and enlarged from an ancient model.
An image of the Buddha sitting cross - legged in the attitude of subduing Mara, In the Sukhothai period. Found at Wat Phya Krai (Jotanaram), Bangkok
A standing Buddha in the Attitude of forbidding his relatives to fight one another, in the style of Ayutthaya period. Found at Wat Yai Phetchaburi
An image of the Buddha sitting with one leg above the other, In the attitude of subduing Mara, In the style of the Ayutthaya period. Found at Phetchaburi.
A Standing Buddha with Attributes of the Royalty, In the attitude of Calming the ocean, In the himer style of the Lopburi period, cast and enlarged from an ancient Model.
An image of the Buddha sitting with one leg above the other in the attitude of subduing Mara, In the style of the Chieng Saen period. Found at Wat Phra Bat Tak Pha, Lamphun province.
A standing Buddha in the attitudes of teaching, In the style of the Lopburi period, Cast and Enlarged From an Ancient Model.
An image of the Buddha sitting with one leg above the other, In the attitude of invoking victory, In the style of the Ayutthaya period, Cast and Enlarged from an ancient model.
An image of the Buddha Seated cross - legged in the attitude of meditation, In the style of the Dvaravati period, Cast and Enlarged from an ancient original found in the bed of the Mun river at Wang Palad, Korat Province.
A standing Buddha of Japanese Style, Cast and enlarged from a model.
An image of the Buddha sitting with one leg above the other in the attitude of subduing Mara, of Khmer(Cambodia) style, Bearing an inscription. Found at Wat Si Chin Thonburi.
An image of the Buddha Sitting Cross - legged in the Attitude of subduing Mara, In the style of the Chieng Saen period. Found at Wat Luang, Muang Phayao, North - Western circle.
A standing Buddha in the attitude of forbidding his relatives to fight one another, In the style of the Sukhodaya period. Found at Wat Nakhon Luang Ayutthaya.
An image of the Buddha Sitting with one leg above the other wearing the attributes of Royalty, In the style of Haripunchai Found at Wat Mahathat Haripunchai, Lamphun province.
A Standing Buddha In the attitude of forbidding his relatives to fight one another, In the style of U Thong. Found at Wat Ratchathani, Sukhothai
An image of the Buddha sitting with one leg above the other, of Japanese style, from Japan.
A walking Buddha of Indian(Gupta Style), cast and enlarged from a walking Buddha found at Sarnath, and now in The national Museum.
An image of the Buddha Sitting cross - legged of meditation, In the style of the Chieng Saen period. Found At Chieng - Saen.
Standing Buddha, In the Attitude of Calming the Ocean in the style of the Ayutthaya period. Found at Phetchaburi province.
An image of the Buddha sitting cross - legged in the attitude of teaching(Called Galled Gandhararath, Used in the ceremony of Calling Down the rain) In sino - Thai style, of the Ayutthaya period, Cast and enlarged from an ancient model now at Wat Yai, Phetchaburi Province.
A standing Buddha in the attitude of teaching, In the Style of the Dvaravati period, Cast and enlarged from an ancient stone model.
An image of The Buddha sitting cross - legged in the attitude of Subduing Mara, in the style of the Chieng Saen period. Found at Wat Arun, Thonburi.
A Standing Buddha in the Attitude of calming the ocean, In the Khmer style of the Lopburi period, Cast and enlarged from an ancient model.
An image of the Buddha sitting cross - legged in the attitude of subduing Mara, In the style of the Chieng Saen period. Found At Wat Savang Arom, Muang Thung Yan, Uttaradit Province.
A Standing Buddha of Japanese Style, Cast and enlarged from an ancient model now in the national museum.
A Standing Buddha in the attitude of blessing, In the style of the Sukhothai period, cast and enlarged from an ancient Model.
An image of the Buddha sitting cross - legged, In the attitude of Subduing Mara, in the Sukhothai period. Found at Wat Phya Krai(Jotanaram), Bangkok
A standing Buddha, In the attitude of the style of the Lopburi period, cast and enlarged from an ancient medel.
A standing Buddha in the attitude of forbidding relatives to fight one another, in the style of the Lopburi period, cast and enlarged from an ancient model.
An image of the Buddha sitting cross - legged in the attitude of subduing Mara, in the style of the Chieng saen period. Found at Chieng Mai.
A standing Buddha, In the attitude of calming the ocean, In the style of the Ayutthaya period. Found at Phetchaburi
An image of the Buddha sitting with one leg above the other in the attitude of subduing Mara in the style of the U-Thong period. Found at Wat Mahathat, Muang San.
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