Lot 73
73
A PARCEL GILT-LACQUERED BRONZE FIGURE OF PHRA MALAI
A PARCEL GILT-LACQUERED BRONZE FIGURE OF PHRA MALAI

THAILAND, RATANAKOSIN PERIOD, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Details
A PARCEL GILT-LACQUERED BRONZE FIGURE OF PHRA MALAI
THAILAND, RATANAKOSIN PERIOD, EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Visiting Hell, cast standing on a lotus base, wearing samghati and alms bowl around his right shoulder facing various emaciated figures and animals, the central figure surrounded by severed heads, the front of the base with a skeleton
17 ¾ in. (45 cm.) high
Provenance
Acquired in Bangkok, 11 June 1973.

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Lot Essay

The scene represented here is the Thai legend of the monk Phra Malai visiting the hungry souls in Hell. They asked him to tell their relatives on earth to make merit on their behalf and to refrain from doing evil deeds. This legend was popular during the Ratanakosin period. The present example is a particularly well-executed piece illustrating this legend. J. Boisselier illustrates a related piece in La sculpture en Thailande, Fribourg, 1987, plate 141.

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