Lot #32: Rare Vintage Thai Temple Rubbing, pre-1966

The image displays a Thai temple rubbing, which is a traditional form of art from Thailand. These rubbings are created by placing rice paper or mulberry paper against marble or stone temple wall reliefs and rubbing charcoal, chalk, or crayons over the paper to produce the image. The paper is known for its resilience and strength. The specific rubbing in the image features two figures in traditional attire, possibly deities or characters from the Ramakien epic, playing musical instruments. Authentic Thai temple rubbings were primarily produced during the 1960s by local artists. The main inspiration for the images comes from the Indian epic Ramayana, which is known in Thailand as the national epic Ramakien. The carvings depict characters and scenes from this story of good versus evil. The practice of making rubbings directly from the temple walls was banned by the Thai government in the late 1960s to preserve the historical stone reliefs from damage. Therefore, older, original rubbings are more valuable than modern prints or reproductions. Pickup category timeslot {A}