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The Wheel of the Law of the Dvaravati period has the typical Gupta motifs of India. Originally the wheel was made as an aniconic symbol of the Buddha representing his teachings
- "Dvaravati" comes from the Sanskrit language, and means "consisting of doors".
It is recognised as being the first state of Siam that comprised a group of riverine cities, and it was an "Indianised" culture.
- Archaeological evidence shows that the focal point of the Dvaravati Kingdom was in the central region of
Thailand. Several Chinese historical documents also mention this civilisation,
and a number of ancient monuments and objects of art found in the area were clearly influenced by the Gupta style, which had flourished in central and western India between the
5th and 6th centuries. There are, for example, immense stupa bases and superb stucco sculptures.
The Buddha image enshrined in the ordination hall of Wat Na Phra Men in Ayutthaya,
is seated in the European fashion. The image was made during the Dvaravati period
(6th-11th centuries A.D.)
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