Ranong: Portuguese cannon smashed to build Buddha figure

[webfact]

Portuguese Cannon Smashed To Build Buddha Figure

By Khaosod English



BANGKOK: -- Police in Ranong province have saved scraps of 500 years-old Portuguese cannon from the temple furnace where local monks intended to turn the artifacts into a Buddha figure.

The authorities have previously received reports that Wat Suwankiriviharn Temple would fuse the said cannon with other substances to construct a 3-metre tall Buddha statue on Friday.

Concerned that the artifact would be irreparably damaged, officials of Department of Fine Arts urged the police in Ranong to raid the temple and confiscate the cannon.

The police, accompanied by a team of experts from Department of Fine Arts, arrived at Wat Suwankiriviharn at around 15.00 yesterday and met with the abbot to discuss the issue. The temple staff offered no resistance, showing the officers to their store room where the cannon was held.

Nevertheless, the cannon had already been smashed into 56 pieces of metal scraps on the order of the temple monks, in preparation for the scheduled casting ceremony.

Mr. Thawatchai Chanpaisalsilpa, an archaeologist from the Department of Fine Arts, said initial inspection indicated that the cannon was a Portuguese-made weapon dating back to 16th century.

Two of the cannon scraps recovered by the police also showed a national emblem of Portugal and an insignia of the globe, similar to the signs on the ancient cannons placed in the compound of the Embassy of Portugal in Bangkok, Mr. Thawatchai added.

Temple staff told the police that local fishermen had uncovered the cannon as they were sailing near the Nicobar Islands in the Andaman Sea several years ago. According to Mr. Thawatchai, the cannon in its original form would have weighed 437 kg. with the length of 2.5 metres.

However, when the police scaled the scraps, the total weight of the smashed cannon only added up to 399 kilograms, causing the police to suspect that some pieces had been stolen or withheld by temple staff.

"The cannon is yet another historical evidence of the sailing, trade, and cultural exchange in the Andaman Sea, which was an important sea trade network" Mr. Thawatchai said, "It's a pity the cannon has been reduced to scraps".

The police said they had an investigation to prosecute those who were involved in the destruction of the cannon, as the artifact is protected under the 1961 Act on Ancient Monuments, Antiques, Objects of Art and National Museums, which bans any action that vandalises historic artifacts.

Mr. Thawatchai also told our correspondent that the incident is the first offence under the 1961 law he ever came across in his working experience.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1395404375&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2014-03-22

[zydeco]

A live example of ethnocentrism in action. Pity. Not too mention that these artifacts were not even found on or in Thai territory. Essentially, these are looted objects, which the monks illegally took possession of, and then vandalized.

Edited March 21, 2014 by zydeco

[Yunla]

I have no praise for this act, for two reasons.

Number one is that Buddha himself opposed idolatry and rejected the whole concept of statues and other images in the spiritual journey. Essentially he believed they were the opposite of his teachings, which were about the internal voyage and the acts of compassion and balance that you projected outwards to the world, a world in which the trees rocks and birds are as much "you" as the meat and bone your soul carries around. So basically the Buddha would reject all the images of himself, including the one proposed in the OP.

Secondly and obviously, it is utterly shameful to destroy art of any form, especially older pieces. Very sad to see.

[GeorgeO]

Very saddened to see a 500 year-old piece of history destroyed in such a way. Let's consider for a moment what the reaction of Thai people would be if someone smashed a statue of Buddha to recreate an old Portuguese cannon...?!

[rametindallas]

Surely the wealthy supporters of the temple can afford to buy quality metal to be used to cast the Buddha statue. It's not like 16th century Portuguese cannons grow on trees. Much nicer, if they want to make a 'swords into plowshares' statement, would be to call on their followers to turn in their contemporary war weapons to be melted down for peace.

[binjalin]

they should be FIRED!!!

[Yunla]

they should be FIRED!!!

Haha. You totally kiln me.

[stegee]

... it is utterly shameful to destroy art of any form, especially older pieces. Very sad to see.

it was an antique cannon- not a piece of art..

[JoeThePoster]

What use is a cannon without balls?

At least a Buddha statue is good for lottery numbers.

Edited March 22, 2014 by JoeThePoster

[Yunla]

... it is utterly shameful to destroy art of any form, especially older pieces. Very sad to see.

it was an antique cannon- not a piece of art..

WIKI: "Art is a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities; this article focuses primarily on the visual arts, which includes the creation of images or objects in fields including painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and other visual media. Architecture is often included as one of the visual arts....."

[Borzandy]

"in preparation for the scheduled casting ceremony." that s all.

[geriatrickid]

... it is utterly shameful to destroy art of any form, especially older pieces. Very sad to see.

it was an antique cannon- not a piece of art..

No, not an antique, but an important part of history. Some Thais seem oblivious to the value and richness of history, particularly if it is not "Thai".

Oh sure, some will say, but we must respect the ways of Thailand, but it goes both ways.

When the Taliban blew up the ancient Buddhas of Afghanistan, the western world rushed in to try and salvage the damage and preserve the history.

And what did these Buddhists do? I doubt they did anything.

What this temple has done and what its abbot permitted was shameful and contrary to all that they espouse.

If these folks wish to build idols and worship before them, that is their personal right. However, it is not their right to seize and destroy an historical artifact that serves to provide a touchstone of Thailand's history. It would have done society more good to have the cannon been on display than to cast another bust of Buddha. How many idols do they need to be holy?

[Khun Loong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

... it is utterly shameful to destroy art of any form, especially older pieces. Very sad to see.

it was an antique cannon- not a piece of art..

Of course it was a piece of art. So few man made things in this country are even 100 years old.

[zydeco]

The article says the cannon was found near the Nicobar Islands, right? Which is NOT part of Thailand, right? Which means this cannon was stolen goods, right?

[HerbalEd]

... it is utterly shameful to destroy art of any form, especially older pieces. Very sad to see.

it was an antique cannon- not a piece of art..

It can be both, you know.

[oldsailor35]

they should be FIRED!!!

That's an explosive statement.

[seabass69]

They 'smashed' it rather neatly, didn't they?

[stickylies]

the pieces we see in the picture will now be sold on black market. the buddha approves :-)

[ABCer]

Those who are not interested in the past have no future.

Any Gov't can only see forward as far as they can look back.

Unbelievable?

You better believe it!

[Dave 74]

However, when the police scaled the scraps, the total weight of the smashed cannon only added up to 399 kilograms, causing the police to suspect that some pieces had been stolen or withheld by temple staff.

They didn't search their Louis Vuitton bags or the Bentley parked out front?

[soalbundy]

they should be FIRED!!!

you are putting gun powder on the fire to launch such a broadside,what was your aim

[lucjoker]

the cannon was made out of bronze or copper(look at the color in the picture)

market price today is about 53 milj bht if pure copper ,witch i doubt,prob it's mixed with tin (making it bronse) but still worth some money.

They planned to sell it(that's why it is cut in so many pieces,if it had to be melted you did not have to chop it up in so many pieces) and sold already 38 kg,the rest had to be sold slowly because

nobody wanted to burn his fingers on a large quantity .

The police were thinking the same ,they start immediately weighing and counting !("sh$t ,the monks were more quick than them,lol)

Copper loves copper?

[Ricardo]

One wonders how the monks might react, to an attempt to smash a 500-year-old Buddha-figure, to cast new guns for the military ?

Would they be as enthusiastic ?

[soalbundy]

the cannon was made out of bronze or copper(look at the color in the picture)

market price today is about 53 milj bht if pure copper ,witch i doubt,prob it's mixed with tin (making it bronse) but still worth some money.

They planned to sell it(that's why it is cut in so many pieces,if it had to be melted you did not have to chop it up in so many pieces) and sold already 38 kg,the rest had to be sold slowly because

nobody wanted to burn his fingers on a large quantity .

The police were thinking the same ,they start immediately weighing and counting !("sh$t ,the monks were more quick than them,lol)

Copper loves copper?

My wife calls our cat "Monk" because he is so good at stealing food from the kitchen table. She say's that as religious counselors they aren't much good but as businessmen they are unbeatable.

[Lancelot]

Oh sure, some will say, but we must respect the ways of Thailand, but it goes both ways. (quote from Geriatrickid)

It is a pretty much one way street here. The Thai way or the Highway.

Just the way it is...

[Maroon Watcher]

...so marooned pirates were left in Thailand.

What can we do know?

I know we can build a fine house and call it a temple for the poor to bring us food.

Then we can loot steal and become jet setters - First class, at last me arties...

I was looking for a witty Pirate line - and came across this:

10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?

9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?

8. Come on up and see me urchins.

7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.

6. I'd love to drop anchor in your lagoon.

5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if I fired me cannon through your porthole?

4. How'd you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?

3. Ya know, darlin’, I’m 97 percent chum free.

2. Well blow me down?

And the number one pickup line for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day is …

1. Prepare to be boarded.

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/howto.html#pickup

[Maroon Watcher]

Turning Swords in to YSL (Plough into shares?)

[bino]

market price today is about 53 milj bht if pure copper

Really?? A 437 kilogram cannon has a scrap value of 53 million baht??

Each kilogram of copper is worth approx 120,000 baht?

If that is true- I am surprised that Thailand has not reverted to the dark ages due to thieves stealing the electric and telephone wiring.

Imagine how much money is "hanging in the air" in Bangkok!

[Dogmatix]

Defrock the idolators and put their asses in jail.

[kieran2698]

I have no praise for this act, for two reasons.

Number one is that Buddha himself opposed idolatry and rejected the whole concept of statues and other images in the spiritual journey. Essentially he believed they were the opposite of his teachings, which were about the internal voyage and the acts of compassion and balance that you projected outwards to the world, a world in which the trees rocks and birds are as much "you" as the meat and bone your soul carries around. So basically the Buddha would reject all the images of himself, including the one proposed in the OP.

Secondly and obviously, it is utterly shameful to destroy art of any form, especially older pieces. Very sad to see.

You consider a canon to be art?