Sacred forms.
Thoughtful questions.

Begin with the name. Then ask more.

The names on this site are starting points for study. They do not function as certificates, fixed date ranges or a single diagnostic style.

A vocabulary for looking.

Begin by describing what is visible: the position of the hands and legs, the robe, the treatment of the head, the base and any inscription. Use neutral terms before proposing an interpretation.

The earth-touching gesture is explained in museum literature as a reference to the Buddha calling the earth to witness his awakening. It appears across Southeast Asian art and is not, by itself, proof of a Chiang Rung origin.[7]

In our gallery, documented Sukhothai and Lan Na objects demonstrate why a familiar Buddhist gesture needs to be read together with a full catalogue record.

A short working glossary.

Phra

A Thai honorific used in religious names. Here it forms part of the names of Buddha images.

Chiang Rung / Chiang Hung

Romanized forms encountered in the regional literature. Spelling variations deserve attention when searching sources.

Chai

Victory, as evoked in the devotional image name discussed here.

Provenance

The recorded history of an individual object’s ownership and custody.

Attribution

An assessment of origin, period or maker. Record who made the assessment and on what basis.

Sources for this chapter.

1. IntroductionAséanie 14 (2004), pp. 151–164
2. พระพุทธรูปสมัยเชียงรุ้งปางมารวิชัย(ล้านช้าง)Buddhist Art Museum · Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Nakhon Ratchasima campus · Thai
3. Enthroned Buddha · 2026.269The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Collection record
4. Ownership / Collecting HistoryGetty · Categories for the Description of Works of Art

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