Sutra Chest

THAILAND; Ayutthaya Kingdom

This distinctive black lacquered gilt sutra chest consists of a base, body, and lid. It measures 80.5 cm long, 69.8 cm wide, and 97.8 cm high. It has an intricately and densely carved Sumeru base with a number of layers. The body is in the form of a trapezoid, and the lid has a similar shape but is smaller and inverted. The sides of the body have illustrations from the Life of the Buddha. At the front, there is a depiction of the Buddha’s great departure, showing Prince Siddhartha leaving his wife and son on the left, the palace maids deeply asleep at the bottom left, and the charioteer holding the reins of the horse, while kneeling and joining palms in reverence on the right. On one of the sides there is an illustration from the Prince Sudana Jataka.