A stroll down history lane

[reader]

From the Bangkok Post

The timeworn sandstone lintel from Prasat Khao Lon is elaborately carved into leaf motifs surrounding a Kala face.

A trip to the Bangkok National Museum is a great way to get some recreational activity in and learn about the country's prized lintel artefacts and ancient kingdoms.

The exhibition "The Return Of The Lintels From Prasat Nong Hong And Prasat Khao Lon To Thailand" will chronicle their lengthy journey and allow future generations to appreciate the opulence of Thai cultural heritage.

These two lintels were crafted to be significant architectural features for highly revered sanctuary compounds -- reminiscent of Khmer-style influence -- in Buri Ram and Sa Kaeo, according to a report on excavations of ancient monuments conducted by the Fine Arts Department in 1959 and 1960.

The carved stone lintel from Prasat Nong Hong portrays god Yama (Shiva) riding a buffalo (Nandi bull) above the Kala face.

"The notion of collecting antiques began in Europe and came to Thailand during the reign of King Chulalongkorn. At that time, the first museum was established but artefacts were still being exported as part of commerce, while foreigners who worked with various Thai authorities were frequently given art objects like ceramic ware as gifts. Furthermore, it's possible that some artefacts were taken out of the country during the Indochina War and Cambodia's civil war," said Prateep Phengtako, director-general of the Fine Arts Department.

Sitting near Nang Rong Canal in Buri Ram, Prasat Nong Hong was first listed as a national ancient monument in the Royal Gazette, Volume 52, published on March 8, 1935, and the sanctuary's boundaries were registered in the Royal Gazette, Volume 99, part 155, on Oct 21, 1982.

Dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, the site is home to three Khmer-style brick prangs on a laterite square base, whose south tower was once embellished with a carved stone lintel the depicting god Yama (god Shiva) riding a buffalo (the Nandi bull) above the Kala face.

In Sa Kaeo, Prasat Khao Lon stands on its namesake hilltop atop Khao Lon and was designated as a national ancient monument in the Royal Gazette, Volume 52, published on March 8, 1935. The timeworn sandstone lintel is beautifully carved into leaf motifs surrounding a Kala face, according to a survey conducted by the Fine Arts Department's 5th Regional Office of Fine Arts in 1960. These two ancient lintels were stolen and reappeared in the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, California.

"Our mission focuses on ancient architectural elements in historical sites which no one can claim ownership over. It's different from other antiques like votive tablets and tableware that anyone can possess and pass down from generation to generation because they were exported goods during the Ayutthaya period," Prateep said.

Ownership of antiques was legal prior to King Prajadhipok enacting the Act on Export of Antiques and Objects of Art in 1926 to regulate the export of artefacts. Following the Siamese Revolution of 1932, several laws were issued and amended, including the Act on Ancient Monuments, Antiques, Objects of Art and National Museums in 1934, which stated that the export of antiques and art objects out of the Kingdom required the permission of the director of the Fine Arts Department (FAD). This provision is still in effect today under the Act on Ancient Monuments, Antiques, Objects of Art and National Museums of 1961, as amended in 1992.

After the three-month exhibition in Bangkok, the pair of historic lintels will be temporarily relocated to the national museums in Surin and Prachin Buri until the FAD and local authorities can find a safe place to store them.

The Prapatphiphitthaphan building offers visitors a new visual experience.

Continues with photos

https://www.bangkokpost.com/travel/2149083/a-stroll-down-history-lane

The Bangkok National Museum is open from 9am to 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday. Admission is 30 baht for Thais and 200 baht for foreigners. For more information, call 02-224-1333.

[vinapu]

too bad Museum is not opened to us bur hopefully one day  gates to Thailand will open