Suan Pakkad Palace Lacquer Pavilion: Life of the Buddha - The Final Journey

THAILAND, Bangkok; Ayutthaya Kingdom

This image depicts the aged Buddha being escorted across the Hiranyavati River on his way to the grove of sala trees where he will pass into parinirvana. The tall, slender Buddha stands on a lotus pedestal in the center of the picture. He has half-opened, compassionate eyes and a decorative nimbus. A group of disciples surround the Buddha. One figure holds a parasol above the Buddha’s head. Another figure carrying a staff appears to lead the way. A second group of disciples is depicted at the bottom of the picture. On the riverbank in the upper left corner, monkeys sit at the foot of an old tree, and a bird flies through the air. A rooster stands beside a tall flower on the opposite bank in the upper right corner. The image is bordered by jagged patterned bands.