Phra Somdej Wat Rakhang: The Than Saem Variant in the Two-Canal Context (Awarded in the Bang Khun Phrom Category)

This article presents a technical and typological analysis of a Phra Somdej amulet, specifically the “Than Saem” (Inserted-base) variant, which is structurally consistent with the Wat Rakhang tradition. Although this amulet received an award in the Bang Khun Phrom category in a national competition held in 1982, all morphological and material characteristics conform to descriptions found in the fifth edition (1972) of the canonical amulet manual by Tri Amatyakul. The amulet displays key features of the Wat Rakhang school: a floating middle base, curved ear lines, a broad chest with non-elongated proportions, soft arched halo lines, compact sacred powder with natural black granules, and asymmetrical side edges. This case is classified as a “Two-Canal Amulet” referring to artifacts originating from one temple but later discovered or associated with another. The article provides side-by-side comparisons between the amulet and its typological references and demonstrates the importance of primary physical characteristics over post-discovery provenance in academic classification.