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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;AuDragon, post: 1940011, member: 6974&quot;]Hi kardinalisimo. I see this thread has been running for a while now but I am happy to add my observations. I think the knowledge and collective wisdom of the group has pretty much identified this, so I am improbably just offering a summary. </p><p>My Thai friend immediately identified it as the Thai language, but it is quite eroded and difficult to read. It appears to tell a story &quot;about a monk who went and did something special&quot;, but other than that it&#039;s hard to decipher. (anyone have a micro spectrometer, blue light or x-ray machine?) </p><p>I also know this as a votive tablet (thanks inh) and they are quite common in Thailand. The size is unusual, as most votives are designed to be worn around the neck or encased in plastic and then worn. I still see many people wearing votives in the course of their normal day. But I have also seen votives this large in the markets and street stalls. It could have been designed to be worn around the waist, carried in a cloth shoulder bag most monks have or hung on string in the temple. It could also have been used in one of the spirit houses you see in most yards and properties in Thailand. </p><p>The woven canvas edges and string that are designed to protect the votive are clearly worn, its a shame they didn&#039;t protect the front and back a little more. Again, there are many votives that are wrapped with string, twine or wire for protection. </p><p>The damage on the front and back could also be caused by constant movement. As traders go from market to market, these items are often just dumped into a basket with lots of other similar items and then tossed into the back of a car for transport. </p><p>At some point, it looks to me like it has been in water, although the Thais are very clever at &quot;aging&quot; items like this. The fairly consistent covering of that &quot;ochre mud&quot; colouring is a worry, as it looks slightly too even to my eye, but it does show some age in the way it has worn and weathered, exposing the cement body. </p><p>These types of votives are not always one-off carved originals. Some are carved into a wooden or clay mould (which is dried), and several impressions are taken by pouring cement or other substances into the mould which has been lined with grease to allow the votive to be removed easily. </p><p>I thought Ganesha traditionally had four arms, so I think the image is a rather badly carved Buddha, especially the ears. However, the image is in the traditional Thai meditation position (The Meditating Buddha - Pang Samti) which represents Thursday and he is also holding a bowl which signifies compassion and caring for all beings. Monks don&#039;t beg for food, but they accept alms from the local population. Which makes me wonder if this was made by a monk as a blessing of compassion? I hope this helps a little. (Cited from: <a href="https://www.antiquers.com/threads/what-is-this-hindu-piece.32743/#post-433688" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.antiquers.com/threads/what-is-this-hindu-piece.32743/#post-433688">https://www.antiquers.com/threads/what-is-this-hindu-piece.32743/#post-433688</a>)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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