Wat Arun
Royal court artisans under Kings Rama II and Rama III · Bangkok, Thailand · 1851
Wat Arun's monumental central prang is one of Bangkok's clearest urban landmarks, rising directly from the west bank of the Chao Phraya River. Although the temple site is older, the present tower was enlarged during the early nineteenth century and completed through the reigns of Rama II and Rama III. Its steep, tapering mass is covered with floral and geometric ornament assembled from porcelain and ceramic fragments, turning the surface into a textured field that changes with distance and light. Smaller satellite prangs and terraces reinforce the central vertical axis. The year used here refers to the major Rattanakosin rebuilding rather than the original foundation of the monastery.