Footnotes

泰國 大城時期 十七世紀 一組六件水晶佛像

Provenance:
Private Collection, United Kingdom

Literature:
Rist, Eberhard, and Grewenig, Meinrad Maria. Buddha: 2000 years of Buddhist Art. 232 Masterpieces, 2016, fig. 109, p. 274.


Carved in rock crystal, a mineral revered for its purity, spiritual power and ability to transmit light, this group comprises of a standing Buddha figure, a reclining Buddha, a seated Buddha, 2 miniature stupas and a carved lotus. Rock crystal is honoured in the Buddhist world as one of the saptaratnas (seven gems or seven treasures) alongside gold, silver, lapis lazuli, red pearl, emerald and coral. Due to its translucent qualities, it was believed to retain and transmit spiritual energy. In territories under Buddhist influence, and in fact, the world at large, rock crystal is prized as a medium for the elaboration of precious ornaments, images of the divine as well as sacred relics. The Buddha, the Lotus, and the Stupa comprise the archetypal symbols of this religious imagery. The Stupa serves as the key icon, an abstract representation of the Buddha personified.

First established in the 14th century, the kingdom of Ayutthaya had developed by the 17th century into one of the most influential and prosperous cities in the world, largely due to its position as a major trans-regional trading centre. The concentration of wealth and trade enabled tremendous advances in artistic sophistication and skill.

Early carved images of the Buddha in rock crystal are extremely rare and the material is very difficult to work. Additionally, to come across such a large collection of carvings from this period in rock suggests that the figures may have been in the possession of a powerful religious authority or a person of royal descent, who had engaged a master craftsman for this significant and highly symbolic endeavour. One of Thailand's most sacred images, the Phra Kaeo Setangkha Mani in Chiang Mai is also made of crystal (Stratton, Carol. Buddhist Sculpture of Northern Thailand, Chicago: Buppha Press, 2004, p.83, 132, 275). A number of small crystal images are in the collection of the National Museum, Bangkok.