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| When Buddha images look
tired and faded and no longer represent the
dignity that signifies the figurehead of the
Buddhist religion, the statues' owners (of
family tombs) bring in specialists to restore
them - if they have the means. Visit a restoration
site... |
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http://www.bangkok-thailand.org |
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| First layer of resin on
the Buddha image that watches over Luang Phitak
Sorayuth in Wat Suthat Bangkok. |
"Not all damaged statues of Buddha are
automatically restored, some are in a really
bad state. The work is very expensive and
sometimes the families don't have the means
for the upkeep of the family tomb. The work
for this particular monument will cost 140,000
Baht". |
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| .Buddha
restored to new |
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>> Most of the statues
of Buddha in the Buddhist temples of Thailand
(often in large numbers) are owned by private
(wealthy) individuals. Families give these
images of Buddha to the temples; they accompany
the deceased members of the family whose ashes
are also laid to rest there. After years in
existence (often hundreds), time leaves its
devastating imprint on these statues. The
families have them restored out of respect
for the monuments themselves and for their
deceased relatives; for this they call in
the specialists.
Janthida, a restoration specialist of historical
monuments who is currently working on a Buddha
image in Wat Suthat says, "it's important
to really know your job as each restoration
project is different". The work required
depends on the type of statue, the materials
used, its age and condition. "In this particular
case, it's a 200 year old sculpture. It's
not too damaged but needs some work doing",
explains Janthida. Even if the damage is not
great, the work is time consuming and demands
attention to detail. The aim is to make the
statue look like new. After filling holes
and sanding down the surface, the statue is
covered with a coating. "A lot of care
needs to be taken at this stage as this treatment
will determine the monument's longevity. We
apply six layers of a special vegetable resin",
comments the specialist before adding, "a
lot of patient is required for this job. A
project like this can take 3 months to completes".
Once the coating is completely dry, the work
enters its final stage; the Buddha is re-covered
in gold leaf and is restored to its former
glory. (/LA). |
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| Society
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 Breast
of
steel
 Bouddha
restored
to
new
 Thai
police officers do
their own business
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