Wat Bowon: Reclining Buddha

THAILAND, Bangkok; Sukhothai Kingdom

The Reclining Buddha was originally located in Wat Phra Phai Luang in Sukhothai but was moved to Wat Bowon in 1847. Reclining figures from the Sukhothai Kingdom (circa 1238–1438) are rare, since most statues from that period are seated.
The Buddha’s conical usnisa terminates in a flame-like ornament. The right arm supports the serene head, while the other arm lies along the side of the body and reaches to the knee. Arms of this length are part of the Buddha’s Thirty-Two Marks of Excellence, as are the three lines on the neck and the extended earlobes. One leg is neatly placed on top of the other, showing that the feet have toes of equal length, another characteristic. The monastic robe is worn in the Thai fashion, leaving the right shoulder bare and with one corner neatly folded over the left shoulder.
The bed is ornately detailed, with a floral openwork cloth hanging over the side. The twin sala trees bending over the figure on the mural suggest that the sculpture is interpreted as the Buddha’s passing into parinirvana. The detail places its making to the golden era of the Sukhothai Kingdom.