Lao artisans have, throughout the past, used a variety of media in their sculptural creations. Of the metals,
bronze is probably the most common, but
gold and
silver images also exist. Typically, the precious metals are used only for smaller objects, but some large images have been cast in gold, most notably the
Phra Sai of the sixteenth century, which the Siamese carried home as loot in the late eighteenth century. It is enshrined at Wat Po Chai in
Nongkhai, Thailand, just across the
Mekong River from
Vientiane. The Phra Sai's two companion images, the
Phra Serm and
Phra Souk, are also in Thailand. One is in
Bangkok and the other is in
Lopburi. Perhaps the most famous sculpture in Laos, the
Phra Bang, is also cast in gold, but the craftsmanship is held to be of Sinhalese, rather than Lao, origin. Tradition maintains that relics of the Buddha are contained in the image. temple, Vientiane, Laos) Bronze is an alloy of
copper, containing about two percent
tin. Other materials are often added, however, and the balance of ingredients determines the characteristics of the bronze. 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. Other images, such as the Buddha of Vat Chantabouri in Vientiane, have a higher copper and, probably, gold content that give them a muted gold color.
Notable sculptures A number of colossal images in bronze exist. Most notable of these are the
Phra Ong Teu (16th century) of Vientiane, the Phra Ong Teu of Sam Neua, the image at
Vat Chantabouri (16th century) in Vientiane and the image at
Vat Manorom (14th century) in Luang Phrabang, which seems to be the oldest of the colossal sculptures. The Manorom Buddha, of which only the head and torso remain, shows that colossal bronzes were cast in parts and assembled in place. Brick-and-mortar also seems to be a favorite medium for colossal images. 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. Wood is popular for small, votive Buddhist images that are often left in caves. Wood is also very common for large, life-size standing images of the Buddha. The most famous two sculptures carved in semi-precious stone are the Phra Keo (The
Emerald Buddha) and the Phra Phuttha Butsavarat. The Phra Keo, which is probably of Xieng Sen (
Chiang Saen) origin, is carved from a solid block of jade. It rested in Vientiane for two hundred years before the Siamese carried it away as booty in the late eighteenth century. It now serves as the
palladium of the Kingdom of Thailand, and resides at the
Grand Palace in Bangkok. The Phra Phuttha Butsavarat was also taken to Bangkok, today it resides at the
Amphorn Sathan Residential Hall. Before the Siamese seized it in the early nineteenth century, this crystal image was the palladium of the Lao kingdom of
Champassack. Many mostly wooden Lao Buddhist sculptures have been assembled inside the
Pak Ou caves. Emerald_Buddha,_August_2012,_Bangkok.jpg|Phra Keo, the Emerald Buddha, resides in Bangkok, Thailand Phra Phuttha Butsayarat Chakkraphat Phimon Manimai.jpg|Phra Phuttha Butsavarat the crystal Buddha of Champassak, resides in Bangkok, Thailand วัดปทุมวนารามราชวรวิหาร_Wat_Pathumwanaram_Ratchaworawiharn_(28).jpg|Phra Serm one of three Buddha images cast by King Setthatirath of
Lan Xang, resides in Bangkok, Thailand NK570118-A-0185.JPG|Phra Sai, one of three Buddha images cast by Setthatirath of Lan Xang, resides in Nong Khai, Thailand Vientiane_VatOngTeu_tango7174.jpg|Phra Ong Teu colossal Buddha image in Vientiane, Laos ==Modern developments==