Monumental Pair of Antique Fire-Gilded Thai Temple Lions (Singha) – Dharmachakra Seal – 18th Century – H 104 cm / ~90 kg

Museum Quality Pair of Monumental Antique Fire-Gilded Thai Temple Lions (Singha Guardians) – Early Rattanakosin (Siam) – 18th Century – H 104 cm / ~90 kg

Specifications Monumental Couple:
• Singha A: 103 cm high | 44 cm wide | Weight: 38.00 kg
• Singha B: 104 cm high | 44 cm wide | Weight: 49.60 kg
• Combined Weight: 87.60 kg (Extremely heavy, thick-walled royal castings)

We proudly present one of the most monumental, rare, and museum-worthy discoveries from the Asian art trade: a fully intact, surviving, and matching pair of monumental antique bronze Thai Temple Lions (Singhas) from the late 18th to early 19th century. With their imposing palace size of over a meter high and a massive combined weight of no less 87.60 kilos, this set represents a royal court commission from the early Rattanakosin period (Kingdom of Siam) of the highest category.

Majestic Spiritual Protection, Virility & The Dharmachakra Seal

Within the royal Thai Buddhist tradition, these iconic Singha guardians adorn the gates of the most sacred temple complexes in pairs (such as Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok) to anchor an unwavering atmosphere of spiritual safety and sovereignty:

• The Shield Against Negativity: With their wide-open, hypnotic jaws, stylized teeth... and flaming manes, these lions act as an energetic shield that keeps obstacles and external unrest outside the gate with brute force. Deep within the crevices of the basin lies the original, unrestored casting skin with heavy cuprite oxidation and the fully mineralized crystals of the historic borax flux.
Dynamic Life Energy: The master goldsmith has endowed the lions with a powerful, traditional, and explicit male anatomy. Within Eastern iconography, this symbolizes virility, active spiritual energy, and the unwavering power to overcome evil.
• The Dharmachakra Sealing: A very special... and ritually crucial detail is located on the back, centered between the hind legs directly beneath the tail cast flat across the back. Here, a beautiful Buddhist wheel / sun wheel (Dharmachakra) has been cast in relief. This sacred medallion seals the statues in their spiritual task as active protectors of Buddhist law.

Microscopic Evidence of Royal Fire Gilding

The exterior of this pair provides irrefutable, natural scientific evidence of pure pre-industrial age and superior metal craftsmanship:

• Solid Gold-Amalgam Skin: Microscopic Dino-Lite research reveals that the gold looks like a thick, layered "sugar skin" of real 24-karat gold amalgam has been fired directly onto the bronze. The surface shows the original, deep scratches from the agate stone with which the goldsmith manually rubbed the gold in the 18th century.
• Pre-industrial Craftsmanship & Weight Difference: The significant difference in weight (38 kg versus 49.6 kg) is the ultimate proof of traditional lost-wax casting. This is caused by natural variations in the wall thickness of the hand-sculpted wax model and residual casting residue deep within the cavities of the legs and torso.

Product details of the Set