Hor Phra Keo Temple: Sutra Chest

LAOS, Vientiane

This chest was used to store sutras written on palm leaves. It was made during the rule of Sourigna Vongsa (reigned 1638–1690), when Buddhism was thriving in Laos.
The chest is in the shape of an inverted trapezoid standing on a multi-layer base. The sides are lacquered and inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The front is divided into two registers; the lower register has a floral frame, inside which are four Bodhisattva images, three vases, and a profusion of floral motifs. The Bodhisattvas wear tall crowns and sit on lotus thrones with palms joined. The upper register has a floral frame with four floral designs, flanked by eternal knots which are linked together.
This delicately and exquisitely designed sutra chest is in a style that was only seen in Luang Prabang and Vientiane.