Wat Chong Nonsi Ordination Hall: Buddhas of the Past

THAILAND, Bangkok; Ayutthaya Kingdom

These murals in the upper registers of the side walls of the ordination hall of Wat Chong Nonsi date from the late Ayutthaya Kingdom. In Thailand, paintings of the Buddhas of the Past began to appear as early as the mid-12th century and can be seen in the art of the Sukhothai Kingdom (circa 1238–1438). They became a popular subject for murals during the Ayutthaya Kingdom; a similar mural to this one is painted in the underground palace of Wat Ratburana.
The Buddhas of the Past all have usnisas topped with flames and wear red monastic robes. They sit in full lotus position on pedestals, separated from one another by stylized depictions of trees. Each Buddha has long ears and forms the bhumisparsa (earth-touching) mudra. In typical Ayutthaya style, their nimbuses have petal-shaped contours embellished with flames.