Equestrian statue of Chulalongkorn the Great, ( th, พระบรมราชานุสาวรีย์ พระบาทสมเด็จพระจุลจอมเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว) other known as Equestrian statue ( th, links=no, พระบรมรูปทรงม้า, , {{IPA-th, pʰráʔ bɔː rom má rûːp soŋ máː , pron) is an outdoor sculpture in cast bronze at the center of the Royal Plaza in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, honoring King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร ...

. It was erected on 11 November 1908 to commemorate his 40th anniversary of his accession to the throne, the longest-reigning monarch in Siamese history at that time.

Description and location

The statue is cast in bronze. It is 5 meters in height and weighs 6 tons. It is attached to a 25-centimeter thick bronze base on top of a 2-meter-wide, 5-meter-long and 6-meter-tall marble pedestal. The statue itself depicts Chulalongkorn in military uniform of

Field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

, wearing his decorations; he holds the reins in his left hand and a baton in his right. The statue stands at the center of the Royal Plaza, facing southwest towards Ratchadamnoen Avenue. It lies to south of the

Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall ( th, พระที่นั่งอนันตสมาคม : ''Phra Thinang Anantasamakhom'': translated as 'The place of immense gathering'Noobanjong, page 167) is a royal reception hall in Dusit Palace in ...

, to the west of Suan Amphon and to the east of Sanam Suea Pa.

History

It was believed that Chulalongkorn had desired for an equestrian statue since he was a young King. In the 13 June 1874 edition of

The Illustrated London News ''The Illustrated London News'' appeared first on Saturday 14 May 1842, as the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine. Founded by Herbert Ingram, it appeared weekly until 1971, then less frequently thereafter, and ceased publication i ...

, it was reported that a silver equestrian statue of Chulalongkorn was cast by an English metallurgist of the Messrs. Hunt and Roskell by Chulalongkorn's commission. However, there are no other source or evidence that mentioned of this fact. During Chulalongkorn's second 'Grand Tour' of Europe in 1907, he visited the

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and made a remark that he was impressed by the Equestrian Statue of King Louis XIV and thought that if an equestrian statue of him were to be erected at a plaza between Ratchadamnoen Avenue and the

, it would be majestic which were similar to other modern nations in Europe. However, there are also argument that Chulalongkorn rather made a remark about the statue of Italian King

Victor Emmanuel II en, Victor Emmanuel Maria Albert Eugene Ferdinand Thomas , house = Savoy , father = Charles Albert of Sardinia , mother = Maria Theresa of Austria , religion = Roman Catholicism , image_size = 252px , succession ...

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

that it was "very beautiful". This is supported by the fact that Chulalongkorn had expressed his interest and fascination in the sculpture and metallurgy of Italy since his first 'Grand Tour' of Europe in 1897. His remark was later made known to Crown Prince

Vajiravudh Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts ...

, the regent of Siam at that time, and after consultation with his ministers, they proposed that in commemoration of Chulalongkorn's 40th anniversary of his accession to the throne in 1908, an equestrian statue were to be erected by public donation. After Chulalongkorn's approval, Prince Charoonsak Kridakara, Siamese ambassador to France, was assigned to find a suitable

foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

for the sculpture. He recommended Susse Frères, a well-known

company located in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

because it was satisfactory in terms of reputation, price and experience. Two French prominent metallurgist, Clovis-Edmond Masson and Georges Saulo, were in charge of such work. On 22 August 1907, Chulalongkorn went to the Susse Frères foundry and mounted on a horse statue to be modeled. The statue was initially modeled after an equestrian statue of the Spanish King Alfonso XIII, whose statue had just been cast by Susse Frères in 1906. However, since Alfonso XIII was a tall and slender man, the statue had to be adjusted to the body of Chulalongkorn. The statue was complete and then shipped to

Siam Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, reaching the port in Bangkok on 11 November 1908, which coincided with Rajamangalabhisek Royal Ceremony which commemorated Chulalongkorn's 40th anniversary of his accession to the throne, the longest-reigning monarch in Siamese history. The budget for the statue was estimated to be around 200,000 baht but the money donated from the public exceeded the expected amount to around 1,200,000 baht. The excess of such amount was offered to

for future public use upon his discretion. However, before deciding what the money should be spent on, Chulalongkorn died on 23 October 1910. His successor,

, later used such money to build Chulalongkorn University in his honor.

References

ตามหาพระบรมรูปทรงม้ารัชกาลที่ ๕

พระบรมรูปวีรกษัตริย์ทรงช้างและม้า

* ttp://www.moe.go.th/moe/th/news/detail.php?NewsID=4714&Key=hotnews หลักฐานใหม่ "พระบรมรูปทรงม้า" Monuments and memorials in Thailand

Unregistered ancient monuments in Bangkok Outdoor sculptures in Thailand Equestrian statues in Thailand Sculptures of men Monuments and memorials to Chulalongkorn

Description and location

History

See also

References