The origins of Sukhothai art as the Thai golden age: the relocation of Buddha images, early Ratanakosin literature and nationalism

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper aims to explain why the mid-thirteenth to mid-fifteenth century Sukhothai period has come to be regarded as Thailand’s artistic golden age and why art from this era has become symbolic of Thai nationalism. Past academic work has viewed the golden age narrative of Sukhothai art as a history ‘purely invented’ at the beginning of the nineteenth century by Thai nationalists. Adopting a material culture approach, this paper takes a different view and suggests that Sukhothai as the golden age is not ‘purely invented’ but ‘partially invented’ through historical conditions and memories embedded in the art objects. The paper proposes that there were three determining factors that helped promote Sukhothai art as the highest expression of Thainess. The first was the large-scale relocation of Buddha images from Sukhothai to Bangkok between 1794 and 1850, which inspired widespread social memories concerning these images. Secondly, the collection of legends from northern cities and the composition of new literature in this period led to a view of Sukhothai as an ideal Buddhist state. Last but not least, the distinctive art style of ancient Sukhothai artefacts contributed to the construction of a national narrative based on the new nationalist ideology.