Treasures of the dawn

Founded more than 700 years ago, the city of Sukhothai is steeped in history. It spawned the Tri Bhumi Praroung, Thailand's first literary work, and it was here that King Ramkham-haeng (1239-1317) created the modern Thai alphabet.

Now its temples and monuments have been lovingly restored to make the Sukhothai Historical Park, which was added to Unesco's list of World Heritage Sites in 1991.

Though guidebooks translate the city's name as the "dawn of happiness" (suk for happy and uthai meaning dawn), a more ancient rendering is "kingdom of happiness", from sukho, meaning happiness, and thai, meaning free.

Today, the happy freedom for visitors comes from discoveries of artwork to be made all over the city. A good place to start is the Ramkhamhaeng National Museum, completed in 1964 and named after Sukhothai's greatest ruler.

The National Museum is home to archaeological finds and art objects discovered in and around the ancient city at Si Satchanalai as well as at other sites in Thailand's lower north. Some 1,500 artefacts are on display at any one time, with close to 7,000 objects in the museum's vaults.

The collection includes pre-Sukhothai sculptures, the pedestal of a sandstone idol from Khao Pucha, the head of a Buddha and many types of stucco carvings from Wat Mahathat, the torso of a kinnaree sculpture and various god and angel stucco carvings from Wat Phra Phai Luang and Wat Nang Phra Ya.

There are also the carved stucco faces of Kirtimukha, or Kala deities that were originally placed above doorframes.

"It was believed that the Kala ate time. The implication was that time didn't wait for anyone," explains a museum official.

The Khmer influence on Sukhothai art is evident in the sandstone torso of an apsara and several Bayon-style pieces dating back to 12th century.

Also on show are examples of Sangkhalok ceramics and 14th-century stoneware jars from the ancient Ko Noi kiln in Si Satchanalai.

Alongside, there's a ceramic-like Thepphanom, a gable representing an angel in prayer and sculptures obtained from Ta Pha Daeng Shrine.

Visitors can also admire various bronze, stone and terracotta images of the Buddha throughout the eras.

The bronze Walking Buddha in the centre of the hall is in typical Sukhothai style, with the hair top-knotted into a small spiral, an oval-shaped face, arched eyebrow and slightly smiling lips. It is regarded as one of the most beautiful faces of the Thai Buddha.

Elsewhere, there are scores of votive tablets with terracotta Buddha seals. The 13th to mid-16th century seals, which were discovered in the old city of Sawankhalok, depict a total of 55 images of the Maravijaya (the Buddha in the wake of defeating Mara).

In the outdoor section of the museum stand replicas of a Sangkhalok kiln, traditional Thai houses and Sangkhalok pottery.

Not far away is the Lai Sue Thai building, separated by walkway from the two-storey Ramkhamhaeng and featuring art and artefacts from ancient times up to the modern day.

The Ramkhamhaeng National Museum is in front of Sukhothai Historical Park, in Tambon Muang Kao of Muang Sukhothai district. It is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 4pm. The entrance fee is Bt10 for Thais and Bt30 for foreigners. For more information, call (055) 697 367 or visit www.thailandmuseum.com.

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Other outings

Sangkhalok Museum

Antique Sangkhalok ceramics and Southeast Asian pottery are housed in this two-storey museum at the Ananda Museum Gallery Hotel.

It's located at 10 Moo 4, Banlum, Muang District.