Waikoloa museum walkway experience
Gathering of Guanyin Figures in Bronze
Thailand
c. 1980s
Bronze
What it is: This is a Thai bronze figure of a kinnara (or possibly a divine dancer / theppanom / apsara-like celestial being), depicted in a dynamic dancing pose. It's a classic example of Thai Buddhist/Hindu court art, most likely from the Rattanakosin period (19th–early 20th century), though the style draws heavily on earlier Ayutthaya and Khmer traditions.Identifying features:
The tall, flame-like crown (mukut) is distinctively Thai royal/divine iconography.
The multiple arms and graceful, angular poses echo both Hindu deity sculpture and Thai classical dance (khon) traditions.
The elaborate jeweled pectoral ornaments, armlets, anklets, and sash are characteristic of Thai celestial beings.
The patina and casting style suggest 19th-century Thai bronze work.
The hand gestures and objects are also significant:
One upper hand displays a raised index finger, a gesture (mudra) indicating teaching, proclamation, or warding off evil.
The other upper hand holds what appears to be a conch shell (shankha), one of the most sacred objects in both Hinduism and Buddhism — it symbolizes the sound of the divine, the proclamation of dharma, and is associated with Vishnu as well as with auspicious ceremonies.
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