Lao Buddhist sculpture

Monk repainting a Nāga (mythical multi-headed snake) at Pha That Luang

Lao Buddhist sculptures were created by the

Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat

provide a modern twist to the ancient tradition.

Media for the sculptures

Nongkhai, Thailand, just across the Mekong River from Vientiane. The Phra Sai's two companion images, the Phra Serm and Phra Souk, are also in Thailand. One is in Bangkok and the other is in Lopburi. Perhaps the most famous sculpture in Laos, the Phra Bang

, is also cast in gold, but the craftsmanship is held to be of Sinhalese, rather than Lao, origin. Tradition maintains that relics of the Buddha are contained in the image.

Statue of "the Buddha calling the earth to witness," the most common representation of the Buddha. The Buddha's hands are in the *bhūmisparsa mudrā* (subduing Māra) position. (Haw Phra Kaew temple, Vientiane, Laos)

Bronze is an alloy of copper, containing about two percent tin. Other materials are often added, however, and the balance of ingredients determines the characteristics of the bronze. In Laos, like Cambodia and Thailand, the bronze, which is called samrit, includes precious metals, and often has a relatively high percentage of tin, which gives the newly-cast images a lustrous dark gray color. Other images, such as the Buddha of Vat Chantabouri in Vientiane, have a higher copper and, probably, gold content that give them a muted gold color.

Notable sculptures

A number of colossal images in bronze exist. Most notable of these are the

Vat Manorom

(14th century) in Luang Phrabang, which seems to be the oldest of the colossal sculptures. The Manorom Buddha, of which only the head and torso remain, shows that colossal bronzes were cast in parts and assembled in place.

Brick-and-mortar also seems to be a favorite medium for colossal images. Perhaps the most famous of these is the image of Phya Vat (16th century) in Vientiane, though apparently an unfortunate renovation completely altered the appearance of the sculpture, and it no longer resembles a Lao Buddha.

Wood is popular for small, votive Buddhist images that are often left in caves. Wood is also very common for large, life-size standing images of the Buddha.

The most famous two sculptures carved in semi-precious stone are the Phra Keo (The

palladium of the Kingdom of Thailand, and resides at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. The Phra Phuttha Butsavarat was also taken to Bangkok, today it resides at the Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall. Before the Siamese seized it in the early nineteenth century, this crystal image was the palladium of the Lao kingdom of Champassack

.

Many mostly wooden Lao Buddhist sculptures have been assembled inside the

Pak Ou caves

.

Phra Keo, the Emerald Buddha, resides in Bangkok, Thailand
Phra Phuttha Butsavarat the crystal Buddha of Champassak, resides in Bangkok, Thailand
Phra Serm one of three Buddha images cast by King Setthatirath of Lan Xang, resides in Bangkok, Thailand
Phra Sai, one of three Buddha images cast by Setthatirath of Lan Xang, resides in Nong Khai, Thailand
Phra Ong Teu colossal Buddha image in Vientiane, Laos