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Thai

Gable Decoration of Rama, the Seventh Avatar of Vishnu, 1800s

Now On View

Description

Maker

Culture

Thai

Title

Gable Decoration of Rama, the Seventh Avatar of Vishnu

Year

1800s

Medium

Wood, lacquer, glass, and mirrors

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Dimensions

94.5 x 63.5 x 14 cm (37 3/16 x 25 x 5 1/2 inches)

Type

Credit

Gift of Doris Duke's Southeast Asian Art Collection

Object Number

2004.12.27

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Asian Art Galleries

The chakra (wheel) and bow and arrow held by this figure indicate that it represents Rama, the god Vishnu’s earthly manifestation. Probably once attached to a roof gable board, the work depicts Rama in the attire of a Thai royal. While Buddhism was the primary religion practiced in Thailand when this figure was made, Thai
kings identified with Rama, whose adventures are recounted in the Ramayana, the Hindu epic written between the seventh and fourteenth centuries BCE. A Thai version of the epic, Ramakien, compiled by King Rama I (1736–1809), became an important influence on Thai art, drama, and literature.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Gable Decoration of Rama, the Seventh Avatar of Vishnu with the accession number of 2004.12.27. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.