The image appearing on this bench was inspired by stucco sculptures of elephants emerging halfway from arched niches, arranged around the lower circumambulatory base of the Phra Borommathat Chedi at Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.
The elephant sculptures may have been influenced by Sri Lankan art. According to ancient beliefs, elephants were regarded as symbols of support and protection for Buddhism. They may also symbolize a representation of Mount Sumeru as the center of the universe.
The Phra Borommathat Chedi at Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province is an important historic monument that reflects the flourishing of Buddhism from the past to the present, as well as the historical relationship between the Thai lands and Lanka.
