People are visiting the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the compound of the Grand Palace to see about 100 stone statues with Asian and Western characteristics that were recently discovered under the walls of the temple and already put on display.
Kittiphan Phansuwan, director-general of the Fine Arts Department, said the stone images were found during the construction of an underpass beneath Maharat and Na PhraLan roads by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The construction began in July 2020 and the statues were discovered at least two meters underground in the compound of the temple.
The department was assigned to clean and repair the stone statues which could number at least 100. The statues were then delivered to the Bureau of the Royal Household and exhibited at the temple, he said.
The chief of the department said that archeologists had yet to find the exact age of the statues. He believed that they had been imported since Thailand had started to trade with China and Western countries. That should be before the reign of King Rama V or at least 100 years ago, he said.
Most stone statues were buried and thus not eroded by sunlight and rain. They looked new after being cleaned up. MrKittiphan confirmed they were ancient sculptures. (TNA)
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