San Francisco — In 1767, struggling American Colonists were just beginning to rebel against a new series of taxes imposed by the British. Half a world away, meanwhile, an epochal battle was transforming the social and cultural landscape of Southeast Asia.
Armies from Burma swept into Ayutthaya, the rich and powerful capital of a kingdom that foreigners called Siam. They destroyed the splendid city during a 15-month siege. More than a rout, the devastation was decisive. Almost overnight, Ayutthaya changed from a thriving, vibrant society into an esoteric legend.
At the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco's Civic Center, an unprecedented exhibition has gathered together 89 examples from the great classical era of Thai art, which began with the official consecration of Ayutthaya (ah-YOOT-tah-yah) in 1351 and continued for more than four centuries. The works on view in "The Kingdom of Siam: The Art of Central Thailand, 1350-1800" include textiles, painted manuscripts and inlaid manuscript cabinets, architectural fragments, gold jewelry and -- mostly -- Buddhist votive sculptures. The quality is exceptionally high.
Fully expected are works such as an exquisite early 15th century copper head of a Buddha image. The rectangular, beautifully proportioned face, its knotted hair surmounted by a flame signifying enlightenment, projects unencumbered solemnity.
The eyes are heavy-lidded, averted from the shifting sights of the external world. The full lips -- relaxed into a gentle, almost imperceptible arc that is not quite a smile -- betray no inclination to speak. But the smooth, bilaterally symmetrical surface of the head, interrupted by the equally regular geometric patterning of the hair, encourages a holistic reading of the form rather than an analysis of individual parts. Despite its silence, this magnificent head is eloquent -- the sculptural embodiment of poise.
More surprising is a wild group of crowned and bejeweled Buddha images. They date from the 17th and 18th centuries, when Ayutthaya was at the apogee of its power. Extreme stylization makes these standing or seated figures seem like fantastic creatures miraculously arrived from other dimensions.
Elaborate decorative embellishments give them a regal aura. Bracelets encircle not just wrists but ankles, upper arms and even waists. Tiered crowns cap the Buddha's cranium with the equivalent of a miniature temple tower.
