Wat Koh Kaeo Suttharam Ordination Hall: Buddhist Cosmology

THAILAND, Phetchaburi; Ayutthaya Kingdom

This mural depicting Buddhist cosmology is located on the west wall of the ordination hall of Wat Koh Kaeo Suttharam. Mount Sumeru, represented as a golden platform atop a thin pedestal, is in the center of the lower register surrounded by smaller mountains. Trayastrimsa Heaven is depicted in the center of the upper register; figures sit within red niches in a palace. Between these two realms, the Buddha sits on a diamond throne supported by three elephants, flanked by Four-Headed, Four-Armed Brahma and the dark green Sakra. Each figure has a petal-shaped red nimbus; the Buddha’s is embellished with flame patterns.
On the right beside the three figures, there is a red stupa with a tiered base. The stacked rings are depicted in the style of stupas from the Ayutthaya Kingdom. On the left, there is a representation of the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya, India, where the Buddha attained enlightenment. A rabbit within a moon disc surrounded by clouds is painted on the left side of the lower register. Heavenly palaces, clouds, and stars are interspersed throughout the rest of the mural. The empty spaces in this Ayutthaya artwork differ from the compact compositions of the Bangkok period (1782–present).