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Votive tablets
When
the
ancient capital at Sukhothai was being
excavated by archaeologists (and unfortunately also by illegal
treasure hunters), large numbers of small tablets were found
buried. Most were of baked or unbaked clay, a few in silver, gold
or pewter, all carrying images of the Buddha. They were portable
Buddhist icons, and Sukhothai is not the only place where they
have been found. They were buried in the most sacred parts of
many temple complexes, in caves used for meditation, and inside
stupas.
One of the most interesting aspects of votive tablets is how they
developed from being devotional Buddhist objects into the modern
cult of amulets. The distinction between the two is not
completely clear either, as it is claimed that many amulets sold
on the market now are ancient votive tablets. Moreover, while it
is difficult to be sure to what use these old votive tablets were
put at the time they were made, it is known that many were
carried home by early pilgrims visiting sacred sites. In one
sense, they could be considered the earliest tourist souvenirs,
though within a sacred context.
The practice originated in India. In here book, Votive Tablets in
Thailand (1997), M. L. Pattaratorn Chirapravati notes that
Chinese monks who visited India in the second century wrote
accounts that described the stamping of tablets. Using press
moulds, monks made these tablets not only for distribution among
the faithful, but also as a meditative exercise.
While souvenirs of a type, votive tablets were and still are
considered intrinsically sacred. One practice that was followed,
particularly in the south of Thailand, was for the powder from
the cremated remains of senior monks and revered religious
teachers to be ground up into the clay used for stamping. This
undoubtedly contributed to he more recent amulet cult. And
fostered the belief that such tablets would contain special
powers
Votive tablets began as
sacred mementos of visits to holy
places, but over time went through a process of change,
acquiring, in the minds of believers, the ability to protect. In
the streets around Wat Mahathat in Bangkok, close to the Grand
Palace, pavement stalls sell amulets, which are essentially
votive Buddhist tablets to which are ascribed specific powers.
More that this, some half a dozen Thai collectors’ magazines, and
even a dealer’s web site, specialize in amulets. Amulet
collection in Thailand is now a significant besides, with the
rarest items changing hands for more than a million baht spice.
It was during the reign of King Rama V, towards the end of the
19th century, that votive tablets began to be treated in
significant numbers as amulets. However, there is some evidence
that the cult began in the reign of his father, King Mongkut
(Rama IV). It is likely that one catalyst was the new popularity
of collecting antiques that spread from the court, and because of
increasing demand, ancient sites began to be excavated illegally.
At first, the clay votive tablets were held in little regard, but
gradually their provenance, and the idea that the monks who had
created them must have transferred into them some of their power,
made them increasingly desirable. By the early 20th century, the
cult had become established, although its relatively rapid
development is clear from the comments of King Rama VI, who ruled
from 1910 to 1925, and wrote: “It is astounding that people hang
votive tablets around the necks as self protection.” Today, most
Thai men cross all classes carry and amulet; women to a lesser
extent.
To a casual non-Thai observer, such an amulet may appear to lack
refinement, workmanship, and even distinctiveness. However, two
essential qualities are hidden: the person who makes it, and its
composition. Most amulets are of clay, but this medium is often
very complex. Being mixed with a number of unusual ingredients,
which contribute to its power, including certain seeds, dried
flowers, herbs, pollen, and the ash of burnt sacred texts.
Moreover, if a revered senior monk made the composition, it wills
benefit from his power.
Two examples of dealers’ notes give some flavor of the arcane
qualities that amulet collections seek. They describe two of the
most famous amulets, Phra Somdej (the name of a famous old monk),
and the strange Phra Pid Ta (‘buddha with eyes Closed’);
“There are only five forms of Somdej Wat Rakank: Make sure you
have seen a genuine one before and compare it with other Phra Pim
Somdej to spot the differences. Look at the texture and the
substance and examine the composition, which has been molded out
of burnt limestone and then mixed with Chinese Tung oil and holy
matters such as Med Chad, Med Phradhati. Holy Dried Flower, Fried
Stream Rice etc.”
“Luang Phor Thub (Designated Name is Phra Kru Dhebsit dhepa
dhibbodi) is the ninth in order of former Chief Abbot of the Wat,
who has created the most revered Phra Pid-Ta and Pid- Dhavarn of
Wat Thong in the year BE 2442 (AD 1899). Amulets were created
between the years BE 2442 to 2453; the major proportion was Phra
Pid-Dhavam: nine human orifices’ closed gesture, and the minor
proportion was Phra Pid-ta: eyes closed gesture.”
Whit rare, sought-after amulets commanding prices in excess of
US$20,000, many fakes abound, but even this is not
straightforward. Reproductions of famous, costly amulets are
common, yet once they have been sanctified by a monk, they will
still afford protection to the owner-as long as he or she
respects it. And behaves well, according to Buddhist precepts.
Ceramic propitiatory
figurines Located at one end of the
courtyard of Wat Ratchanaddaram, across the canal from Bangkok’s
prominent Golden Mount, is a small market devoted to amulets and
other votive paraphernalia. There are rows of tiny,
mass-produced, doll-like figures, such as Chinese goddesses,
white-bearded sages, King Rama V, fat-laughing Buddha, children
with ancient costumes and hair arranged in the traditional
top-knot and strange creatures with bodies of men and heads of a
variety of animals.
Despite their gaudy aspect and the cheap material used, the
figurines are not toys but propitiatory offerings placed at
shrines, spirit houses and temples. The ceramic kilns at
Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai fired thousands of similar figurines
in the 14th to 15th centuries; the glazed examples below are
typical. The colors varied from white to celadon to brown, and
black underpinning was occasionally used to emphasize details.
What makes these individually modeled pieces so much more
interesting than the mould-stamped modern versions is the love
and observation that clearly has been put into them. None are
masterpieces, but the work of local craftsmen who draw on their
own experience and the life around them to create spontaneous as
well as sincere works. The mother-and-child figure, definitely
mass-produced from the quantities that have been unearthed, was a
particular favorite, and usually lovingly observed. In the
woman-and-baby (Sangkhalok ceramic, Wat Mahathat), the mother
sits in the polite posture with her left leg bent so that the
foot points backwards and the right leg bent so that the foot
presses against the left thigh. Her young child stands on here
ankle, holding her. In the couple and baby, a man sits hugging
his wife on his lap, while she in turn holds the baby; all are
encircled in a tight family group (Sangkhalok ceramic, 13-14th
centuries, Ramkamhaeng Museum).
Two of the pieces here have been repaired at the neck, but
detached heads are also quite common. Such breakage was not
accidents, but a feature of their use. When people took a
figurine to the temple as a propitiatory offering to solve a
problem such as bad luck or ill health, the function of the
figurine was to remove the harm or had luck. To this end the
figurine’s neck was broken and the remains buried. Such broken
pieces are known as tukata sia kraban meaning literally ‘doll
that has lost its head’.
02. December 2004