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Bought these 2 at a thrift store. $26 for pair. Frame about 19 X 25", artwork 12X 18", No identification I can find. Figures are raised up 1/8- 1/4" maybe and details maybe carved out. Image sits back 1/2" behind glass, surrounded by a red cloth covered frame under the glass. Whatever the images are done on is 1/2" thick ( behind the white background) and is wood on back side with brown paper glued around it. The white background shows 2 seams up and down like 3 overlapping strips of paper or cloth.(can see in closeups). Perhaps the cloth/paper was pushed into a mold of some sort, to create the images? Any ideas on what exactly this is? Where it's from? Age? Etc.

These are late 20th century Thai rubbings of musicians, possibly the angel-like celestials called Apsaras, who play at the court of the Hindu God Indra. Such rubbings often were attributed to ancient temples, though I suspect lots of them probably originated with reliefs carved in fairly contemporary times, because many older temples have gained protection in recent times under Thai law and international compacts.

Many such items found their way to the West with military personnel who served or took leave in Thailand during the Vietnam War years of the 1960's-70's, and I'm sure examples are still available nowadays in the shops and markets of Bangkok and other tourist stops in Thailand.

Best regards,

Bill H.

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