DHARMACAKRA. LIMESTONE.
Thailand. Dvaravati culture. 7th/ 8th century.

Grey limestone. Depiction with 23 spokes with spirally rolled up capitals and prominently executed nave. Allround the wheel several rows of pearls and borders. On the bottom the leftovers from the mount with spirals. ?82 cm; thickness ca. 7-10 cm. Condition C.

Literature:
Exhibition catalogue: Kunst aus Thailand; Offenbach a.M.; 1963; no. 1 p. 67.
Exhibition catalogue: Das heilige Bildnis: Skulpturen aus Thailand; Josef-Haubrich-Kunsthalle; Cologne; 1980; no. 11; p. 98 f.
Siam Society Under Royal Patronage: 700 Years of Thailand: Treasure from the Kingdom;
Bangkok; 1993; no. 41; w/o p.
The dharmacakra wheel belongs to the earliest aniconic symbols of Buddhism and the Mon rulers had large copies put up on high pillars. An almost identical dharmacakra can be found in the collection of the Phra Pathom Chedi National Museum; Nakhon Pathom; Thailand (11/2524).
Art trade; Van Ham.