Iconic 'Walking Buddha' makes Korea debut in landmark exhibit of treasures from Thailand

Standing atop a lotus pedestal, the Buddha places his left foot forward while slightly lifting his right heel. His thin monastic robe appears to flutter like a feather, drawing viewers into a serene, contemplative state.

This is the famed bronze Walking Buddha from 14th-century Thailand, one of the country's most beloved Buddhist sculptures. The 154-centimeter (5-foot) statue is known in Thai as “pang leela,” meaning "graceful posture."

While most Buddhist sculptures around the world depict the Buddha seated, reclining or standing still, representations of the Buddha seemingly walking through the air are unique to Thailand's Sukhothai period (1238–1348) and its artistic successors. The work is being shown in Korea for the first time.

"Unlike Korea's Gilt-bronze Pensive Maitreya Bodhisattva, which expresses a world of contemplation, [the Walking Buddha] is a unique work of art that symbolizes the Buddha actively approaching sentient beings," said Noh Nam-hee, a curator at the National Museum of Korea.

The National Museum of Korea in Yongsan District, central Seoul, will open an exhibition featuring 239 Thai artworks on June 23. The exhibition includes sculptures, paintings and traditional crafts from 21 national museums across Thailand, including the Bangkok National Museum.

The works are featured in the special exhibition, "Amazing Thailand: Masterpieces of Thai Art," which is scheduled to run through Sept. 6. The exhibition was organized in partnership with Thailand's Fine Arts Department under the Ministry of Culture, through a memorandum of understanding that the National Museum of Korea signed in 2019.

"As K-culture spreads around the world, our perspective of the world is changing as well," said You Hong-june, the director of the National Museum of Korea, in a press briefing on June 22. "We organized this exhibition out of the belief that our own culture should also become more inclusive."

The National Museum of Korea has previously held three exhibitions on Vietnam, in 2008, 2014 and 2019, and one on Indonesia in 2005. However, this is the first large-scale exhibition dedicated to Southeast Asian art.

As Korea's first comprehensive exhibition on Thailand, the show traces the country's civilization from prehistoric times to the present day. Thailand has also lent numerous rare and significant artifacts for the occasion.

Among them is a large ninth-century Dvaravati boundary stone weighing 700 kilograms (1,543 pounds) that depicts devotees offering bundles of grass to the Buddha.

Another highlight is a 46.5-centimeter sculpture created in 1481 during the Lanna Kingdom (1292–1775) that depicts Buddha leaving footprints. Dating from a later period than the 14th-century Walking Buddha, the work appears poised to lean forward, showcasing the creativity of Thai artisans.

The former central gate of the Emerald Buddha Temple is also making its first trip overseas after years in storage at a Thai national museum.

Other highlights include Sangkhalok ceramics decorated with fish motifs, which were exported to neighboring countries from the Sukhothai period onward. The works offer a glimpse into "the flexibility and inclusiveness of Thai culture, which stood at a major crossroads of East-West trade for centuries," according to curator Kwon Kang-mi in the National Museum of Korea.

Crafts associated with Khon, Thailand's traditional masked dance drama, offer insight into the artistic patronage of the Rattanakosin Dynasty, which has ruled since 1782.

The exhibition's space design was also intentional. The interior design was inspired by the red-brick walls of historic temples and the ornate decorations of royal palace corridors.

Thailand is home to the second-largest Southeast Asian community in Korea after Vietnam and ranks as the fourth-most popular overseas destination for Korean travelers. It is also considered a major hub of the K-culture boom in Southeast Asia.

"This is an opportunity to experience the essence of Thai art in Korea," Director You said.

"I am delighted to introduce Thailand's T-culture in Korea, the home of K-culture," said Tossaporn Srisamamn, deputy director-general of the Thai Culture Ministry's Fine Arts Department. "I hope K-culture and T-culture will flourish side by side around the world."

Admission will be free for all visitors for the first week of the exhibition, through June 30.

After the free admission period, the admission fee will be 8,000 won ($5.20) for adults ages 25 to 64. Visitors aged 13 to 24 can enter for 6,000 won, and children aged 7 to 12 can enter for 4,000 won.

A traveling exhibition featuring a selection of works from the current exhibition will be held at the Tongdosa Museum in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang, from Oct. 4 to Dec. 4, following the exhibition's close in Seoul.

BY KANG HYE-RAN [[email protected]]