Anonymous Thai artist - photo 1
Anonymous Thai artist - photo 2
Anonymous Thai artist - photo 3
Anonymous Thai artist - photo 4
Anonymous Thai artist - photo 5
Anonymous Thai artist - photo 6
Anonymous Thai artist - photo 7
Anonymous Thai artist - photo 8
Anonymous Thai artist - photo 9

Anonymous Thai artist

Lot 64
12.07.2023 00:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 10 080
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 993362
Lot 64 | Anonymous Thai artist
Estimate value
£ 8 000 – 12 000
Anonymous Thai artist

Scenes from the Ramakien, illustrated manuscript on paper [Thailand, late 19th century]

A highly decorative manuscript painted in the Kingdom of Siam, with richly-coloured illustrations of the Ramakien, one of the national epics of Thailand.



Two-sided horizontal concertina-folded manuscript, 360 x 120 x 50 mm (closed), 72 illustrations, each c.240 x c.360mm, painted on tree-bark paper (hinges of the concertina occasionally split at either end, the illustrations rubbed along the creases, scattered paint loss and rubbing throughout). Modern box.



Illustration:

The paintings relate to the Ramakien as it was staged in the Kingdom of Siam in the 19th and early 20th century, depicting the characters, their intricate costumes, and scenes from the play, alongside illustrations of the ornamental royal barges – many of whose figureheads represented characters from the same – which processed along the Chao Phraya River in an annual flotilla before the Grand Palace, residence of the Kings of Siam between 1782 and 1925. Scenes from the Ramakien are presented similarly in a 19th-century Thai manuscript held at the British Library, Or.14229.



Originally derived from the Sanskrit Ramayana, the Ramakien was the product of many centuries of revision and adaptation by Thai scholars, who transposed central elements of the Hindu epic into a Thai context: the clothes and weapons shown in the present manuscript, as well as the decoration of the royal barges, reflect an entirely distinct version of the legendary work as it came to exist in Thailand. The Ramakien was situated at the heart of national literary and dramatic culture: after large numbers of Thai manuscripts were lost in the destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767, the Siamese king Rama I oversaw between 1785 and 1807 the preparation of the text recognised today; his son, Rama II, subsequently rewrote parts of his father’s version for khon drama, a traditional, strictly-choreographed form of Thai dance.



Painted in rich colours, the present illustrations primarily depict characters from the Ramakien interacting with one another, in combat or otherwise; elephants, a horse (with rider) and an ox also appear. Six of the 72 paintings show barges with figureheads from the Ramakien or other ornamental vessels. This compilation may have been produced for visitors to the Kingdom of Siam, as a visual record of performances of the Ramakien before the Grand Palace or, perhaps, as a model book: either a guide for artists and dancers involved in khon or shadow-puppet performances, for the purpose of costume or puppet design, for the painting of the royal barges, or for temple painters reproducing scenes from the Ramakien in mural form.



Christie’s is grateful for the assistance of Dr Justin McDaniel in the identification of the present manuscript.





Special notice

No VAT is payable on the hammer price or the buyer's premium for this lot. Please see the VAT Symbols and Explanation section of the Conditions of Sale for further information
Place of origin:South-Eastern Asia, Asia, Thailand
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
12.07.2023 – 12.07.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.
?>