Namo Buddhāya
A Scarified and Puzzling Buddha Image from Northeast Thailand
Abstract
This article discusses an unusual modern bronze image of the Buddha in the posture of subduing Māra which originated from Nakhon Ratchasima, northeast Thailand, now in the custody of the National Museum of Bangkok. This statue is unique because it is scarified all over its body with Khmer mystical letters and syllables forming Pali formulae and geometric designs. This evidently recalls the popular practice of “yantra tattooing” witnessed in Tai–Khmer cultures.
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