Indian Architecture (Buddhist and Hindu Periods) c44.24

c44.24

To sum up, it will appear from the foregoing that although there are buildings in Siam, and also groups of buildings, which display considerable architectural qualities, yet there is little evidence of any combined effort on the part of the people to materialize their ideals in structural form on anything like an adequate scale or in an inspired manner. When they were moved to create large buildings they found themselves with only limited perceptions and capacities for such undertakings and accordingly they were compelled to borrow extensively from the self-activities of others with whom they were brought into contact. The result is that there emerges at no period a definite national style, their buildings are largely the effect of "influences," and their architecture is therefore not exactly a logical development or a natural growth Diverse elements from external sources enter freely into its character, often indeed to its improvement, but it appears to be rarely a genuine expression of the people themselves, probably because they were never sufficiently coalesced to formulate a unified ideal. On the other hand the sculpture of Siam shows marked indigenous ability, as may be seen in the metal and stone statuary which attained a very high standard during most of the country's historical periods. Architecture, therefore, may have been largely regarded as subordinate to the plastic art, and more as a background on which to display their great skill as sculptors and workers in bronze.