The newly-opened Ayutthaya Gold Treasure Exhibition Building showcases more than 2,000 gold artefacts from the ancient crypts at Wat Ratchaburana and Wat Maha That. (Photos: Nutthawat Wicheanbut).
While standing inside the recently opened Ayutthaya Gold Treasure Exhibition Building at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum, visitors may visualize a dismal night in September 1957 when burglars robbed the vault that was hidden underneath Wat Ratchaburana’s main Phra Prang. When digging even more, they discovered a radiant three-floor gold treasure and transferred some invaluable products to a home opposite the temple.
Their scheme would have been perfect if they had not entered a quarrel over their greed, and inadvertently burned down a house. When the cops arrived, they found just an antique sword and a couple of expensive things on the flooring. They were apprehended later on, however we still don’t know what occurred to the gold artefacts.
As an outcome of this circumstance, the Fine Arts Department started to explore archaeological sites around Ayutthaya island, particularly Wat Ratchaburana and Wat Maha That, where a collection of gold artefacts and gemstones, Buddha statues and hundreds of thousands of votive tablets were unearthed.
All of the things from the two temples were temporarily kept at the National Museum Bangkok, Ayutthaya municipal government, cops station and temples. In 1959, a number of votive tablets found in the crypts of Wat Ratchaburana were auctioned off to the general public to raise funds for the construction of the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum. The structure took 3.4 million baht to build and opened in 1961.
For 6 decades, a choice of 1,000 gold artefacts from Wat Ratchaburana and Wat Maha That were displayed in two small spaces each determining 25m ² until the museum started substantial repair in 2017 to improve its landscapes and centers. After three long years of construction, the Ayutthaya Gold Treasure Exhibition Building was officially opened at the end of in 2015, and now features innovative lighting style, modern multimedia technology and innovative layouts that make it possible for visitors to see an exhibition in 360 degrees.
Phra Sang Khan Chai Sri (the Sword of Victory) was made of steel and gold, adorned with quartz and coloured glass.
” With area constraints, around 1,000 gold antiques from two temples were displayed in little rooms for a number of decades. In 2014, the Fine Arts Department chose to renovate the screen and do additional research in order to offer visitors with more thorough info about the gold crypts at Wat Ratchaburana and Wat Maha That,” stated Somphot Sukaboon, a director of Chao Sam Phraya National Museum.
” To highlight the idea of storing precious things in a crypt as a homage to the Buddha’s antiques, the collection increased from 1,000 to 2,200 gold pieces, collected from different places like the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum, the National Museum Bangkok and Chiang Mai. We used clever touchscreen multimedia systems to demonstrate how to make conventional gold accessories in the Ayutthaya design.
” When the gold treasure structure opened, the museum welcomed 20,000 visitors in a single month. The first structure has actually been going through remediation and is slated to be complete in 2025 and the exhibit will be revamped to highlight the significance and beauty of early Ayutthaya-style art. The booming trade and civilisation of the Ayutthaya kingdom are reflected in the artefacts.”.
The exhibition spans 3,275 m ² on the 2nd flooring and can be divided into 8 zones. The journey begins at the zone of the Golden Treasure from the Crypt of Wat Ratchaburana, where Phra Sang Khan Chai Sri (the Sword of Victory) works as a start to the belief of the magnificent king, which was affected by the Deva Raja Mythology of the Khmer Empire.
A royal elephant gold figure with a removable head rests on a rectangle-shaped base embellished with coloured glass.
One of the five royal regalia utilized throughout the coronation event, it was made in the 15th century from a mix of steel and gold and decorated with quartz and gemstone-like coloured glass that symbolize the may of the queen.
Visitors can carefully observe a collection of clothes and accessories utilized in royal events, including Chula Mongkut (a coronet made from 4 strips of gold, embellished with coloured glass and the traditional Thai pra jam yam pattern), Phra Suwan Mala (a headdress made with gold threads and embellished with floral styles in diamond-shaped frames), a crossbody gold chain decorated with gems, and a gold bracelet with a cowry shell-shaped pendant.
Likewise on screen are Tharn Korn (the royal personnel), Patchani Fak Makham (the gold tamarind pot patterned fan), gold whisks made from yak’s hair, gold slippers, Phra Suwan Pingkarn (the gourd-shaped water bottle), and a round gold disc with a ridged rim in floral patterns, which is part of the gold umbrella.
” We dealt with the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology to analyse the parts of gold ornaments utilizing X-ray fluorescence technology. The findings reveal that they include 80% -85% of gold and a little amount of silver, while the craftsmens were competent at producing coloured glass to look like gemstones. The majority of gold ornaments feature floral and plant concepts taken from their environment,” manager Sasithon Towinus stated.
Phra Suwan Mala is a headdress made with gold threads and embellished with floral designs in diamond-shaped frames.
Searching around, visitors will discover a royal elephant figure with a removable head, which is crafted of gold and rests on a rectangle-shaped base covered in lotus petal designs. Based upon Buddhist beliefs, an elephant represents nobility, power, thankfulness, intelligence and sacrifice. A swan-shaped embossed container with a detachable head that is embellished with fish-egg beads, lotus petals and vine is seated beside it. It is believed to have actually been utilized to save liquid like water or perfume.
” We found more than 600 embossed and jewel-encrusted gold rings in Wat Ratchaburana’s crypt. The motifs of lions, crabs, cows feeding their calves and kinnaree symbolise abundance. However, there’s no evidence of gold mining in the early Ayutthaya period, therefore it’s possible that all of the gold and valuable gems might have been homages from the North or from elsewhere additional afield,” she added.
The Wat Ratchaburana model stands at the heart of the Gallery Walkway and takes visitors to an imitation three-storey crypt inside the primary pagoda, which was put up to house Buddha antiques throughout the reign of King Borom Rachathiraj II, likewise understood as Chao Sam Phraya. Gold treasure and a variety of the finest Buddhist offerings were placed into the crypt to pay homage to Buddhism and serve as a representation of the king.
A swan-shaped embossed container with a removable head is adorned with fish-egg beads, lotus petals and vine.
The 1st floor is dedicated to Buddha statues and votive tablets in different styles, while a mountain of gleaming royal utensils, regalia, jewellery, ornamental devices and gold pagodas can be discovered on the 2nd flooring. With stars spread over the ceiling, its walls sport spectacular red-tone murals of the Buddha, angel gatherings and a parade of Chinese aristocrats, which shows an impact of Chinese-style art that infected the Ayutthaya kingdom. The least expensive floor is home to the Buddha’s antiques with a four-layered bronze cover as well as silver and gold votive tablets and glazed ceramic utensils.
” The Fine Arts Department used photogram methods to recreate the fading paintings, which were found on the 2nd floor of the crypt. We worked with a ceramic company in Shiga, Japan, to reproduce those murals using advanced ceramic tile printing innovation so that visitors can imagine the ambience within the crypt. After the Covid-19 pandemic, we discovered humidity in the crypt and all of the murals have actually faded. For reasons of safety, visitors may not be allowed to visit there in the future,” she added.
Wat Maha That’s Buddha relic is housed in the sixth-layer stupa, which is decorated with red spinel, chrysoberyl, corundum, moonstone and garnet.
Leaving Wat Ratchaburana, a 1:20 scale 3D model of the historical Piprahwa Stupa highlights how Siam acquired the idea of constructing a pagoda to preserve Buddha’s antiques from India. Visitors can take this chance to worship Buddha relics, which were discovered in Wat Maha That, Wat Phra Ram, Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Chedi Si Suriyothai.
” At Wat Maha That, the Buddha’s relic is housed in a seven-layered stupa-shaped cover made from different products consisting of bronze, silver, gold, wood and ivory. The sixth-layer cover is created to look like a small gold casket and is embellished with various gems consisting of red spinel, chrysoberyl, garnet, corundum and moonstone. Its cover is enhanced with a trigon diamond,” she pointed out.
The Wat Maha That collection likewise includes a fish-shaped geode vessel, which was painted gold, a gold lion-shaped box with ruby eyes in the Chinese design, and a silver manuscript that describes how Khun Sri Rattanakorn and his family developed a collection of votive tablets to dedicate to King Ramathibodi I, also called Phra Chao U-Thong.
Chao Sam Phraya National Museum is in Ayutthaya province. It’s open daily from 9am to 4pm (other than Monday). Admission is 30 baht for Thais and 150 baht for foreigners. Visit facebook.com/chaosamphraya for additional details.
The Fine Arts Department utilized innovative ceramic tile printing innovation to recreate timeworn murals in Wat Ratchaburana’s chamber.
Buddha statues and votive tablets.
Fabrics embellished with small gold leaves show superior craftsmanship.
A Buddha antique is housed in a seven-layered stupa-shaped cover made from various materials including bronze, silver, ivory, wood and gold.
Chula Mongkut, bangles and armlets are decorated with coloured glass.
Royal regalia and emblems were found in the 2nd-floor crypt of Wat Ratchaburana.
More than 600 jewel-encrusted and embossed gold rings were placed into Wat Ratchaburana’s crypt as a homage to the Buddha antiques.
A fish-shaped geode vessel and a gold lion-shaped box with ruby eyes were found in Wat Maha That’s crypt.
More than 600 jewel-encrusted and embossed gold rings were positioned into Wat Ratchaburana’s crypt as a homage to the Buddha relics.
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