“Visions of Impermanence: Cremation Fire and the Path to Heaven in Northern Thailand” by Rebecca S. Hall – an online presentation hosted by CSRS

Visions of Impermanence: Cremation Fire and the Path to Heaven in Northern Thailand
Rebecca S. Hall

Thursday, March 30
*11:00 a.m-12:00 p.m. PT
*online only
Join via Zoom at uvic.ca/csrs/events

In Northern Thailand, elaborate cremation structures, called prasat sop, are built to honor high ranking monks. These objects are creat- ed for display during a funeral and then completely destroyed in the cremation fire. Because it is the final event for a high status mem- ber of society, a monk’s funeral brings attention to the essence of Buddhist perfection, idealized visions of a heavenly afterlife, and the core Buddhist teaching of impermanence. This presentation is an examination of monks’ cremation structures and a discussion of the connection between their form and meaning.

Rebecca S. Hall is Assistant Curator at the USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, CA. She holds a PhD in Southeast Asian Art History from UCLA. Her research focuses on the relationship between Buddhist art, practice, and belief in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
https://www.uvic.ca/research/centres/csrs/