THAILAND, RATANAKOSIN PERIOD, 19TH CENTURY

This large bronze footprint of the Buddha is one of the aniconic symbols of Buddha, popular in the early days of Buddhism before depictions of the Buddha were known. The footprint of the Buddha represents the spreading of his teachings. This particular symbol was known in Thailand from the fifteenth century onwards. This example is one of the largest buddhapadas known outside Thailand. For an earlier example, see J. Boisselier, La sculpture en Thailande, Fribourg, 1987, pl. 131. Carol Stratton illustrates a wood example in Buddhist Sculptures of Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai, 2004, p. 302.