God Vishnu

Keywords : Vishnu, Narai, Bangkok National Museum

Artwork alternative name	Phra Narai
Site common name	Bangkok National Museum
Site alternative name	National Museum Phra nakorn
Type of artwork	Sculpture
Sub district	Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang
District	Khet Phra Nakhon
Province	Bangkok
Region	Central
Country	Thailand
Geographic Coordinates Decimal degree	Lat : 13.7576 Long : 100.492222
Geographic Coordinates UTM	Zone : 47 P Hemisphere : N E : 661329.97 N : 1521418.09
Place of artwork	It is exhibited in the exhibition room of the National Museum of Phra nakhon.

History of production	No written evidence regarding the sculpture was found. However, the attributes of the sculpture are comparable to the pre 10 Buddhist Century sculptures found in India such as the Kushan Dynasty of Northern India, And Southern Indian Arts of Andhra Pradesh State that was ruled by Satavahana and Ikshvaku Dynasties respectively. Therefore, the sculpture was likely belonged to the same period which is between 9th-10th Buddhist Century.
Production process	Stone Crafted
Size	68.5 CM.
Art	The sculpture is in the standing posture wears the cylinder shape crown which is the distinct characteristic of the early style of Vishnu in Thailand. The sculpture has 4 arms follow the conventional Iconology of God Vishnu. The front right hand is in the forgiving gesture, the back right one holds the mace, the front left hand holds Shankha (conch shell) at the hip level, the back left hand is lost but presumably to hold Chakra. The position of each hands with the carried objects are visible in the Northern Indian Art prior the 10th Buddhist Century. The upper body is naked while the lower part wears Tothi or the thin panung. The piece of long cloth is tied around the hip through the thigh. The characteristic is comparable to Southern Indian Art prior the 10th Buddhist Century.
Key academic information	The Vishnu of Wat Sala Tueng, Chaiya District, Surat Thani is believed to the the oldest Vishnu sculpture found in Thailand. It reflected the early expansion of Hinduism into the Southern Peninsula of Thailand.
Period	Historical Period
Art period	Srivijaya
Age	9th-10th Buddhist Century
Religion	Brahmanism-Hinduism
Religion and belief	Brahmanism

Type of License	Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND)
Rights	Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre
Date of record creation	2016-09-30
Record creator	Rungroj Thamrungraeng
Bibliography	Piriya Krairuek. Art History of Thailand: Student Handbook Edition. Bangkok : Amarin Printing, 1985. Piriya Krairuek. Southern Art before 19th Buddhist Century. Bangkok : Fine Arts Department, 1980. O'Connor, Stanley J., Hindu Gods of Peninsular Siam. Ascona: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 1972.