Kingdom of Siam: The Art of Central Thailand 1350-1800, New! Unopened! $0 Ship!

Description: The Kingdom of Siam: The Art of Cental Thailand 1350-1800 In 1686, King Louis XIV of France had the great Hall of Mirrors in the Versailles specially prepared to receive, with exceptional pomp and ceremony, a group of foreign envoys. The envoys brought with them two shiploads of gifts for the court. In fact, they delivered so many objects of gold, silver, and lacquer that the French complained that their list would be as long as a book. The envoys had been sent from the kingdom of Ayutthaya, or "Siam" as it was known in the West. Though little remembered today, Ayutthaya was one of the largest and most important kingdoms of Southeast Asia. Founded in 1351, the kingdom flourished for more than four hundred years - longer than China's Ming dynasty. It was a major trading center with diplomatic ties with China, Japan, Persia, and the Ryukyu kingdom (Okinawa), and, from the seventeenth century on, with Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Portugal. The envoys gifts reflected this trade activity - more than fifteen hundred pieces of porcelain (mostly Chinese), Persian, and Indian carpets, and many other objects from Japan and China were given to the French king and his relatives. Despite the kingdom's power, prosperity, and influence, it was completely destroyed by a devastating invasion from neighboring Burma in 1767. As a result, many Ayutthaya artifacts, especially made of fragile materials, were destroyed, and the kingdoms splendor gradually faded from memory. "The Kingdom of Siam: The Art of Central Thailand, 1350-1800" - the first exhibition of classical art from Thailand shown in the United States in more than thirty years - collects eighty-nine of the finest surviving works from Ayutthaya, drawn from collections in Thailand, Europe, and the United States; many of these are being displayed for the first time in the West. They include stone and bronze Buddha images, sculptures of Hindu deities, figural and decorative wood carvings, temple furnishings, illuminated manuscripts, jewelry, and textiles. Despite the length and importance of Ayutthaya kingdom, this period of Thai history has received little scholarly attention. This book, combining essays by leading scholars and entries examining each of the objects in the exhibition, at last sheds light on a one of historys greatest, but least known, cultures. ISBN 9781588860859, 158886085X Format Paperback Author Forrest McGill, Editor Publisher Art Media Resources, 2005 Pages 197 - Click on images to enlarge. Price Guide None About Crunruh Books - Rhymes with "from you." Crunruh offers quality books on antiques, fine art, and collectibles for all types of collectors. The books are brand new and nicely discounted. Some may be steeply discounted thanks to publishers overstocks and remainders. Others may be hard to find. I work hard to keep my customers happy by presenting the best books at the best prices. Customer service is a priority and my thousands of my Ebay and website customers seem to agree. I hope to hear from you soon. Powered by SixBit's eCommerce Solution

Price: 28.61 USD

Location: Evanston, Illinois

End Time: 2025-01-18T02:22:07.000Z

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