Phra Buddha Sihing

No creation history was found but according to legend it is said that the Tao Maha Brahma brought it with the emerald Buddha from Kamphaeng Phet in the early 20th century.

Bronze casting

This Buddha image sits in a full-lotus seat on a lotus base in the octagon plan and shows subduing mara posture. It has a round face, big knot hairs, ushnisha with lotus shape on top, look straight eyes, slightly open mouth, fat body, oblique robe and short split ends centipede fang shaped sanghati above chest.

The sacred Buddha images of the Lanna people, the prototype of the Phra Buddha Sihing in later periods.

1.The current head is a reconstructed head that replaced the old one that had been cut in 1922, but can still be traced to Buddha images that created during the same era, such as the Singh Neung type Buddha image at the Chiang Mai National Museum that were originally housed together with the Phra Buddha Sihing.

2. The Lanna art Buddha images during the 20th Buddhist century, popularly sitting on a smooth base. The current base may therefore be made later.

There are many legends of Phra Buddha Sihing such as Jinakalamalipakaranam or The Legends of Phra Buddha Sihing with the main content being the same: Phra Buddha Sihing is a sacred Buddha image that first appears in Lanka. The King of Sukhothai sent an envoy to ask Lord Sinhala. The King of Sukhothai therefore led to various important cities such as Chai Nat, Ayutthaya. Kamphaeng Phet respectively until coming up to Lanna This legend originated in the time of King Kue Na or King Saenmueangma in the early 20th Buddhist century. From the model inspection, the Phra Buddha Sihing and the Emerald Buddha are all in the 20th century, consistent with legend. It's possible that the person who made these two Buddha images may be the Tao Maha Brahma.

1. The Subduing Mara Buddha image of the Wat Phrachao Mengrai, Chiang Mai province is an important example of a Singh Neung type Buddha image with an inscription specifying the name. "Phra Buddha Sihing", the name of the maker and the year of making are clear. It shows the simulations of Phra Buddha Sihing spread in Lanna.

2. Phra Buddha Sihing of Wat Khok Kham, Samut Sakhon Province is an example of a Buddha image in the Ayutthaya art with the inscription specifying the name Phra Buddha Sihing. It shows that Ayutthaya people recognize Phra Buddha Sihing as a full-lotus seat Buddha image, just like the Lanna people.

ศักดิ์ชัย สายสิงห์. พระพุทธรูปในประเทศไทย : รูปแบบ พัฒนาการ และความเชื่อของคนไทย. กรุงเทพฯ: ภาควิชาประวัติศาสตร์ศิลปะ คณะโบราณคดี มหาวิทยาลัยศิลปากร, 2556.

George Coedes. Document sur l’histoire politique et religieuse du Laos occidental (แปลจากชินกาลมาลีปกรณ์) Paris: BEFEO., 1912.

ศักดิ์ชัย สายสิงห์. “พระพุทธสิหิงค์คือพระพุทธรูปขัดสมาธิเพชรในศิลปะล้านนา” ศิลปวัฒนธรรม, 26,2 (ธันวาคม 2547): 94 – 99.

รัตนปัญญาเถระ, พระ. ชินกาลมาลีปกรณ์. กรุงเทพฯ: กรมศิลปากร, 2552.