เป็นบทความภาษาอังกฤษที่ทรงรายงานความก้าวหน้าของการศึกษาทางด้านพุทธศิลปะระหว่าง พ.ศ. 2503-2512 พิมพ์ครั้งแรกในวารสาร East Asian Cultural Studies ในพ.ศ. 2518 จากนั้นพิมพ์อีกครั้งในรูปแบบหนังสือ เนื้อหาหลักกล่าวถึงการค้นคว้าและค้นพบพระพุทธรูป ศิลปกรรมใหม่ๆ รวมถึงการขุดค้นใหม่ๆ โดยนำเสนอตั้งแต่ศิลปะทวารวดี ศรีวิชัย ลพบุรี ฯลฯ มีการกล่างถึงนักวิชาการชาวต่างประเทศผู้เข้ามามีบทบาทในการขุดค้นและค้นคว้าวิจัยหลายท่าน
The article by Prince Subhadradis Diskul focusing on the trends in the studies and research on Buddhist arts in Thailand during the 1960-1969 is firstly published in the journal of East Asian Cultural Studies in 1975. The article mentions the new discoveries of Buddha images, other artifacts as well as new excavations, stating from Dvaravati, Sri Vijaya, Lopburi etc. Some foreign scholars who had the important roles in the research and excavation are also mentioned by Prince Subhadradis Diskul in the article.
A bronze image was discovered near the southern gate (gopura) of the galleries around Prasat Kampaeng Yai, (Sanctuary of Kampaeng Yai) on 17 May 1989. The statue, standing 184 cm. high (140 cm. for the body, 10 cm. for the base and 34 cm. for the tenon underneath). The statue represents a standing dvarapala (door-guardian). Professor Jean Boisselier, a French expert on khmer art thinks this bronze statue represents Nandikesvara or Nandisvara, chief of the gana (attendants of Siva). Because of his loyal services, Siva allowed Nandikesvara to change his primitive appearance, which resembles a monkey, to the likeness of Siva. And even if the statue is not really Nandikesvara, Professor Bossolier still thinks this bronze statue is a door-guardian. The way it was gilded and its excellent execution are invitations to suppose that this statue must have stood in front of the central sanctuary of Prasat Kampaeng Yai, or even inside its porch.
Prasat Phra Viharn is one of the most beautiful ruins of antiquity. Situated at a majestic height on the Dongrek Mountain Range, which marks the frontier between Cambodia and south-east Thailand, it is a Khmer shrine built between the 11th and 13th centuries. A series of sanctuaries and flights of stone stairways leads up the mountain to the temple tower, the centre of the worship of the god Siอa, to whom the shrine was dedicated. The extensive ruins, older than Angkor Wat, are evocatively preserved; roofs and columns have fallen, but the great native stone walls remain, and the massive carvings have been only softened and mellowed by the centuries.
Prasat Kamphaeng Yai is situated in Amphoe Utumphorn Phisai in the province of Sisaket, northeastern Thailand. It is a Khmer monument. According to one inscription on a doorjamb of an eastern gopara (gate) of the eastern gallery surrounding the monument, it was founded in Hinduism.The inscription is composed of about 35 lines in Khmer language which reports the purchase of pieces of land in 1042 A.D. by Vra Kamraten An Sivadasa and three other dignitaries. These pieces of land were marked and dedicated to the sanctuary of Vrddhesvara (Siva). After listing the names of the slaves dedicated to the sanctuary, the text enumerates the animals and objects given to the former owners, by those who bought the land.
The late Professor Dupont's great book has been warmly welcomed not only by specialists in Southeast Asian art and archaeology throughout the world , but also by many members of the general public in Thailand, among whom the interest in archaeology is steadily growing. The book is dedicated by the author to his distinguished teacher, Alfred Foucher. A note by Madame Dupont thanks whose who helped to prepare the work for publication after her husband's death. Then, after a short preface by the author, comes the text itself, consisting of 9 chapters (almost 300 pages). Finally there are inventories of the objects discovered in the excavations of Davaravati sites conducted by the author; indexes; bibliography; etc. There are 24 pages of drawings, plans and maps, and 541 photographs. He ends with a briefer summary of the enduring influence of certain other types of Dvaravti image, and of Dvaravati architecture associated with the Theravada.
The Thai Fine Arts Department has created a national museum in the town of Ubon Ratchathani, Northeastern Thailand. The collection of the museum contains objects, mostly of local origin. The museum contains six rooms. The first room is the Geography-Geology room of Ubon Ratchathani Province which shows the maps, mineral resources and gems of the province. The second room is the prehistoric room, displaying implements and pottery found in Ubon province. The third room "Dvaravati room", displaying objects pertaining to the Dvaravati period or those from contemporary epochs. The fourth room "Khmer room", displaying Khmer objects. The fifth room contains Buddha images created by Ubon Ratchathani craftsman. The sixth room displays local tradition and objects. Though this museum is rather small, it is worthwhile visiting because of the many interesting objects displayed in an orderly manner.
A bronze Buddha image, protected by the Naga in the attitude of subduing Mara, is displayed in the Bangkok National Museum, Thailand. Seated on the coils of the Naga, 1.65 m. high, it was found at Wat Wieng (Wieng Temple), Chaiya, in the province of Suratthani, southern Thailand. This beautiful bronze image belongs to the Srivijayan style. On its base an inscription informs it was cast either at about the end of the 12th of 13th century A.D.
George Coedes is well known as the great historian and epigraphist of south-East Asia. For this book, Les peuples de la peninsule Indochinoise, the professor comments in his introduction that in the past 10 years historical books on South-East Asia and especially on Indochina have been mostly devoted to the events after the 15th century A.D. Nearly all of them have only a brief resume of the events of the earlier 1,500 years. He therefore wrote this book to balance the two periods but deals only with Indochina, excluding the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia.
By the word 'South East Asia', we would like to limit ourselves only to those countries that had received strong Indian cultural influence in the past, namely: Champa in the present day Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia and Indonesia. South East Asia lies between India and China and her civilization received the impetus from these two large countries. the main land of South East Asia or the peninsula of Indochina extends from China down to the south. though there are mountain chains which are difficult to cross, the large rivers on the peninsula have always been used as the means of communication: the Red River, the Mekong, the Chao Phaya River, the Salween and the Irrawaddy. Indonesia was probably connected in former times with Indochina. The knowledge on the development and interchanges of these arts in South East Asia can be further improved through the proper archaeological excavation in each country and the study of the evolution of motifs.
บทความใน Journal of Siam Society ใน ค.ศ.1978 (พ.ศ.2521) เป็นบทความที่วิเคราะห์ประเด็นต่าง ๆ ของสถาปัตยกรรมปราสาทเมืองสิงห์ซึ่งอยู่ในระหว่างการขุดแต่งโดยกรมศิลปากร และวิเคราะห์ประเด็นประติมากรรมที่ค้นพบ เช่น พระโพธิสัตว์อวโลกิเตศวร
This is an article originally published in the Journal of Siam Society in 1978 focusing on the architecture and the sculpture during the excavation by the Fine Art Department. The article also studies the image of Avalokiteshvara discovered from the site.
