Sukhothai art refers to the art and style of the Sukhothai [ translated as the dawn of happiness ] Empire period. Sculpture [ bronze, stucco and stone ] was inspired by Theravada Buddhism which created a new style in which spiritual serenity is merged with human form and reflected in the numerous images of the Buddha. Sculptors did not base their images on strict human form but on interpretations of metaphors from religious verse and Pali language scriptures.
Accordingly the artists created images that were intended to reflect the compassionate and superhuman nature of the Buddha. During this period bronze images of Hindu gods were also caste. These Hindu gods are crowned and wear royal attire and were cult objects in royal court rituals performed by Brahmin priests. Excellent examples can be seen at the National Museum Bangkok.
In addition, Sukhothai was famous for ceramics [ ‘’ Sangkhalok ware ‘’ ]. There were two forms, the monochromes in brown and white and the celadon and painted wares. The later have dark brown or black designs and have a clear glaze. During the 15th – 16th C these were popular in South East Asia and exported to Indonesia, the Philippines and elsewhere.
Sculpture [ bronze, stucco and stone ] was inspired by Theravada Buddhism which created a new style in which spiritual serenity is merged with human form and reflected in the numerous images of the Buddha. Sculptors did not base their images on strict human form but on interpretations of metaphors from religious verse and Pali language scriptures.