Arts of Asia Lecture | Unveiling Dvāravatī: Art and Culture of Early Thailand

What do we truly know about Dvāravatī? Often referred to as a kingdom, a time period, a material culture, a geographical region, or an art style in early Thailand, Dvāravatī remains shrouded in mystery. But what does the archeological evidence actually tell us about this fascinating culture? Who were the inhabitants of central Thailand during the 7th and 8th centuries CE, and what languages did they speak or use? How did they interact with the neighboring Hindu‒Buddhist cultures of early Southeast Asia? Did they share cultural and religious practices, and how did these relationships influence the art they produced? This lecture will explore the unique characteristics of Dvāravatī's material culture, which, while rooted in foreign Indic artistic traditions, also reveals notable local innovations. By examining the artistic and cultural artifacts of the period, we will deepen our understanding of "Dvāravatī art" and its role in shaping the early history of Thailand. The audience will gain a clearer definition of Dvāravatī, exploring both its distinct identity and its broader connections within the cultural landscape of early Southeast Asia.

Nicolas Revire is presently the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Research Fellow at the Art Institute of Chicago, serving both the Departments of Arts of Asia and Curatorial Documentation and Research. Born in France, he holds a doctoral degree from the Université Paris 3–Sorbonne nouvelle and specializes in the Buddhist art and archeology of early Southeast Asia, with a research focus on pre-modern Thailand. He spent nearly two decades of teaching and research at Thammasat University in Bangkok and is general editor of Before Siam: Essays in Art and Archaeology (2014) and Decoding Southeast Asian Art: Studies in Honor of Piriya Krairiksh (2022). He is also the newly appointed editor of the Journal of the Siam Society, under Royal Patronage.

This lecture, which is part of The Fralin's Lecture Series on the Arts of Asia, has been generously sponsored by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.

Image: Buddha triad riding a mythical animal, Dvāravatī art, 7th‒8th century, Thailand, 43.5 × 32.3 × 14 cm, The Art Institute of Chicago, acc. no. 1997.53