Tiered stand for Buddha images, with a depiction of a crowned and bejeweled Buddha

Tiered stands for Buddha images such as this were often donated to temples. By the latter part of the 1800s, however, the elite had begun to collect antique objects. Buddha images were housed in a “Buddha room” and placed on such a tiered stand together with incense, candles, and flowers. The central panel of this stand is decorated with a standing crowned and bejeweled Buddha. The side panels show depictions of combat between the legendary hero Rama and his adversary,  the demon king Ravana. It might seem unexpected that  a stand for Buddhist religious use would be adorned with scenes from the Rama epic, which is usually associated with Hinduism, but in fact in Thailand the combination  is common.