Lao Buddhist sculpture

Today, the sculpture gardens of Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat provide a modern twist to the ancient tradition.

In Laos, like Cambodia and Thailand, the bronze, which is called samrit, includes precious metals, and often has a relatively high percentage of tin, which gives the newly-cast images a lustrous dark gray color.

The Manorom Buddha, of which only the head and torso remain, shows that colossal bronzes were cast in parts and assembled in place.

Perhaps the most famous of these is the image of Phya Vat (16th century) in Vientiane, though apparently an unfortunate renovation completely altered the appearance of the sculpture, and it no longer resembles a Lao Buddha.

The Phra Keo, which is probably of Xieng Sen (Chiang Saen) origin, is carved from a solid block of jade.

Many mostly wooden Lao Buddhist sculptures have been assembled inside the Pak Ou caves.The religious art tradition of the region has received an original contemporary twist in the monumental fantastic sculpture gardens of Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat: Buddha Park near Vientiane, and Sala Keoku near Nong Khai, Thailand.