Stone sculptures over 100 years old that were recently excavated from beneath the wall of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha went on display at the Grand Palace for tourists to admire during the long weekend.
The Bureau of the Royal Household found more than 130 stone sculptures while it was performing road maintenance near a wall of the temple. Following the discovery, His Majesty the King tasked the Fine Arts Department with excavating and restoring the statues to their original state. The restored statues were then displayed for domestic and international tourists to admire in the courtyard of the temple.
Some historians believe the sculptures may have been imported when the Kingdom of Siam was trading with China in the early Rattanakosin era. Merchants would purchase Chinese stone sculptures to balance the weight of ships on their return trips. These statues were believed to have been placed in the temple as part of the celebration of Bangkok’s 100th anniversary in 1882.
The sculptures resemble multiple ethnicities, with some carved in traditional Thai attire while others were depicted in Western clothing. Most of these statues are in pristine condition due to being buried in mud for a century and suffering less deterioration than stone statues exposed to the elements.(NNT)
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