ภาพสลักบนทับหลัง : รูปหน้ากาลคายท่อนพวงมาลัย

Abstract

Kala, represented by a fierce animal or demon face, is generally decorated onto the lintel of sacred architecture’s entrance. Based on the ancient belief, Kala is a symbol of glory face. Also, it is a symbol of guardian spirit who protects the sacred architecture from all disaster and absorbs wickedness of whoever tries to enter the sacred place.

The common type of Kala seen in Thailand has been influenced by Khmer art. There is a combination of original structure and local craftsmanship. Therefore, Kala in Thai art is obviously different from Khmer’s. To conserve the mythological fierce expression of Kala, it is carved into a animal or demon face with a pair of bluge round eyes, 1-3 edges of eyelids, huge nose, wide mouth remaining only upper lip, and always found in the gesture of pulling a garland out of its mouth toward left-side and right-side.

However, the gesture of ‘pulling a garland out of the mouth’ does not appearently conform to the Hindu myth, that is Kala strarvelingly consumes everything even itself.