The Subduing Mara Buddha Image

No creating history was found, but from the art form, the age can be determined in the 19th Buddhist century.

Bronze casting

This Buddha image sits in a half-lotus seat on a smooth base and shows Subduing Mara posture. It has a round face, big knotted hair, look-down eyes, slightly open mouth, knot jaw, fat body and short sanghati above the chest.

The example of the first phase of Lanna art Buddha image

1. From the form, this Buddha image should sit in a full-lotus seat but instead it sits in a half-lotus. Nevertheless the two sitting positions have appeared together in Southeast Asia. This Buddha statue is similar to the Palaart of India, which has been passed through Bagan of Myanmar. There is the legend that Phraya Mangrai led his army to attack Bagan and bring back artisans back to his Kingdom.

2. There is a suggestion that this Buddha image is likely dated back to the second half of the 21st century because the ribbon-shaped fabric that runs down the left chest has developed characteristics comparable to the contemporary Buddha images in the Chiang Saen National Museum. However its patterns suggested that it could be older than that. In addition, the Buddha images in the 21st century regularly have high ushnisha and usually sit on the base of an upturned lotus in the octagonal plan. Therefore, this Buddha image is probably in the 19th century.

1. Personal treasure of Colonel Pianlert Boripanyuthakit, the Subduing Mara Buddha image is another phase one Lanna art Buddha image which has the same overall characteristics but sat in a full-lotus seat. But still not quite perfect.

2. The Subduing Mara Buddha image at Chiang Mai National Museum is an example of Lanna art Buddha images during the 20th Buddhist century, which was housed at Wat Phra Singh and has features that are even more developed than Buddha images during the 19th Buddhist century, such as a perfect sitting in a full-lotus seat.

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

สันติ เล็กสุขุม. ศิลปะภาคเหนือ : หริภุญไชย-ล้านนา. พิมพ์ครั้งที่ 3. กรุงเทพฯ: เมืองโบราณ, 2555.

พระยาประชากิจกรจักร. พงศาวดารโยนก. พิมพ์ครั้งที่ 5. พระนคร: คลังวิทยา, 2507.