The sacred sculpture of Thailand

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The sculpture of Thailand includes some of the most beautiful and significant works made anywhere in Asia, but it is among the least studied and least well understood. This pathbreaking and authoritative book tells the story of this sculpture, beginning with the art of the kingdom of Dvaravati in the seventh century and ending with the abandonment of the city of Ayutthaya in 1767. Hiram W. Woodward, Jr., the principal author, bases his account on a study of the most important and comprehensive collection outside Thailand, that formed by the pioneering American scholar Alexander B. Griswold and bequeathed to the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore, Maryland. An unprecedented array of technical tests has been carried out on the Griswold sculptures. Thermoluminescence analysis has determined age, metal analysis has revealed the content of the alloys, and clay-core analysis has provided insights into probable place of origin. Conclusions drawn from these tests have been integrated into Dr. Woodward's narrative. Never before has the sequence of styles and the development of regional traditions been presented so clearly. The results of the tests, presented in full, will be a resource for students of Thai art for decades.