For the first time in France an exceptional collection of works will be brought together evoking the most ancient Buddhist art, from the central plains of present day Thailand, from the 6th to the 11th century, as well as its extensions in the north of the country up until the 13th century.
145 works conserved in the collections of twelve of the principal Thai national museums, completed by 19 pieces belonging to the Guimet Museum, illustrating the richness and precision of the iconography of the Dvaravati “kingdom” as well as the stylistic originality and technical particularities of an art unfamiliar to the general Western public.
This thematic exhibition - co-produced by the Guimet Museum and the Rmn - is dedicated to one of the remarkable periods of Thailand’s ancient history, from the name of Dvâravatî which could have indicated a kingdom – or a collection of city-states – comprising a large part of the territories of modern Thailand.
The exhibition opens onto a collection of works recalling the history of Dvâravatî and the introduction of Buddhism to Thailand: inscribed coins noting “the commendable work of a lord of Srî Dvâravatî”, furniture imported from India and Burma, votive tablets serving to diffuse “good Law” in South-East Asia, etc. In parallel, two sculptures evoke the Hindu aspect of the religious traditions of ancient Thailand.
The exhibition is then organised in a thematic way, according to the diverse places of origin of the works and the resulting multiplicity of styles and aesthetics.
In the first part are presented the famous Wheels of the Law and the various elements attached to them (supports gilded with protective or beneficent motifs).
Two magnificent narrative steles which originate from the outlying regions of north-west Thailand, within the confines of the area of cultural influence of Dvâravatî, then give way to an exhaustive selection of architectural decor in stucco or terracotta which formerly decorated monuments such as the famous narrative panels illustrating the jâtaka (previous lives of Buddha) coming from Chedi Chula Pathon of Nakhon Pathom, or the expressive terracottas from the Khu Bua site.
A third section groups together images of Buddha in the Dvaravatî style – freestanding sculpture in stone and bronze – a testimony to the excellence of sculptors around the 7th to the 9th century.
At the close of the exhibition, some of the greatest masterpieces of the Haripunchai art – northern kingdom – bring a brilliant conclusion to the period of pre-Thai art, preparing the way for later artistic expression by the great kingdoms of classic Siam.
