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Thammat
(Southeast Asia )
This pulpit (thammat) is a small Thai temple-shaped structure standing 12 feet high, 9 feet wide, and 6 feet deep. The form of this thammat has cosmological significance: it takes the form Mount Meru with the tiered roof representing the tip of the mountain and its surrounding peaks. The faithful believe this sacred mountain is located at the center of the Buddhist universe. This thammat is an especially elaborate example, most likely donated to a temple by a member of the royal family. The thammat was housed in a lecture or assembly hall within a Buddhist temple complex. Buddhist temples usually consist of many buildings, including a hall for special ceremonies and meditation, an assembly hall with the main Buddha image, living quarters for monks, and a library for sacred texts.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Southeast Asian Art Collection [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 2002, by gift.
Geographies
Thailand (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Overall H: 153 9/16 x W: 74 x L: 109 7/16 in. (390 x 188 x 278 cm)
Credit Line
Gift from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Southeast Asian Art Collection, 2002
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
63.4