Ravana plots Sita's abduction
Ravana, depicted here with twenty arms, is likely telling one of his demon subjects about his devious plan to capture the beautiful princess Sita. (Learn more)
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This detail on a painted mural at the Emerald Buddha Temple depicts the demon king Ravana siting on a royal pavillion platform and gesturing with twenty arms (ten emerging from each shoulder). Ravana is speaking to another blue-faced demon partially seen at the base of the pavillion stairs on the right.
The use of additional limbs (or heads!) on portrait painting of super-human beings likely came to Thai court art from India, where it is conventionally used to show exceptional powers of observation or action.
Learn more about Bangkok, Emerald Buddha Temple, Ramayana, Ravana, Thailand, art, artistic conventions, demons, murals, paintings, and palaces.
Photographs by Margery Freeman · Text by Lorraine Aragon
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