It is witnessed most graphically in the Buddha images, cast according
to descriptions of the Enlightened One in Pali scriptures, in
line engraving, in decorative stucco work and, most importantly,
in the bell-shaped chedi (reliquary monument).
Although Sukhothai's political and
social organization was perfected under King Ramkamhaeng, the
art and architecture of the city did not reach their apogee until
around the mid 14th century. At that time, during the reign of
King Lithai (1347-c.1368), a man noted for his religious conviction
and scholarship, Theravada Buddhism was strengthened through
direct links with Sri Lanka. Prior to that, the faith had arrived
indirectly via monks from Nakhon Si Thammarat in southern Thailand.
In consequence the building of chedis and other religious structures
was accelerated and refined.
It was at this time that the so-called
lotus-bud chedi, characterized by a bulbous dome at the top of
the spire and unique to Sukhothai architecture, made its appearance.
The construction of Sri Lankan bell-shaped chedis also became
more widespread -- replacing the pyramid and prang (round tower)
of the old Khmer style -- while Singhalese stylistic influences
in stucco decoration and line engraving were incorporated. It
is generally agreed that the art of bronze-cast Buddha images
reached perfection during the reign of King Lithai.
On the national time scale Sukhothai's
glory was short-lived. Like one of its festive candles, it burned
bright, then flickered and was finally extinguished. Its brief
passage, however, does not truly reflect Sukhothai's enormous
contribution to the nationhood of the Thai people. In virtually
all fields of human activity -- political, religious, civic and
cultural -- Sukhothai established traditions that, despite later
adaptation and development to a lesser or greater degree, are
still discernible in present-day society.
The most vivid example of such enduring
influence is the Thai concept of monarchy which originated in
Sukhothai. The regional forerunner had been the god-kings of
Angkor, but the Thai model, while similarly providing absolute
power, made royalty more accessible, more paternal than it had
been under the Khmer. Such an ideal and practice of monarchy
has served to bind and guide the nation throughout subsequent
centuries, helping to preserve a remarkable historical continuity.
In art, Sukhothai marks the first,
and arguably finest, flowering of Thai sculpture, and it produced
truly original Buddha images of high aesthetic achievement.
Typically, Sukhothai Buddha images
were far more stylized than anything that had gone before and
are marked by a greater fluidity in the line of the body and
an uncanny degree of serenity and spirituality expressed in the
facial features. Statues in the seated posture were popular but
the real triumph of the Sukhothai artists was the walking Buddha.
This posture had appeared before but only in carved relief and
it was a Thai innovation to produce walking images in the round. More
