The U Thong Style is one of the definitive styles for

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

icons which developed in Thailand (Siam) in the southern capital of

Ayutthaya Ayutthaya, Ayudhya, or Ayuthia may refer to: * Ayutthaya Kingdom, a Thai kingdom that existed from 1350 to 1767 ** Ayutthaya Historical Park, the ruins of the old capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom * Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province (locall ...

. There are three distinct periods for the style, 12th to 13th century, 13th to 14th century and 13th to the 15th century, with some obvious overlap. Features common to all three types include: *Small band between the hairline and forehead *Robe draped with a long flap from the left shoulder ending in a straight line *Fingers of unequal length *Hairstyle is small, somewhat-spiky curls *Seated, with the legs folded *Simple concave base

History of the style

To retain the greatest spiritual potency, Buddha icons in Thai temples had to resemble as closely as possible an original prototype that tradition erroneously believed had been made during the lifetime of the Buddha. Of the three major efforts by Thai kings to establish an "authentic" canon for the icons, the

Sukhothai style Thai art refers to a diverse range of art forms created in Thailand from prehistoric times to the present day, including architecture, sculpture, painting, textiles, decorative arts, crafts, ceramics, and more. While Buddhism has played a signifi ...

was the first, followed by the U Thong and the lion types. The populace of Southern Thailand, which captured Sukhothai in approximately 1350, was in the 14th century still largely

Mon Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * A ...

, and the fusion of styles resulted in the more solid, corporeal, and squared-off U Thong image. Although the resulting changes may be seen most readily in the shape of the head, now more square than oval, and the broader, more sober features, there is also an increased heaviness of the body, no longer weightless but firmly seated on the ground. While the Sukhothai style is characterized by linear emphasis, the U Thong style again shows concern for solidity and modeling. At the same time, the U Thong images are rather stolid and lack the linear excitement and uniquely Thai character of Sukhothai art. U Thong style, like Sukhothai style, is still copied in Thailand.

References

Buddhist art Ayutthaya Kingdom Thai Buddhist art and architecture {{Buddhism-stub