THAILAND - Brass Statuette

ITEM SPECIFICS.

• Material:  brass.
• Dimension:  17 cm. tall.
• Design:  a Thai lady appeared to be kneeling and praying is garbed in an intricate traditional Thai costume (not sure if the lady is a character from a Thai folklore); the lower garment is enameled in green while the accessories, ornaments, and head dress are enameled in gold;  the exposed skin has an oxidized finish;  faux crystal encrusted on the belt and on the head dress at the forehead (with one missing faux crystal on the neck piece)
• Back stamp:  no hallmark or any stamping from the manufacturer. 

Made in THAILAND.

NOTES:

• my best friend Karla P., who lives in Chicago now, gave this piece to me when she first visited Thailand for a work-related project.  That was 16 years ago!
• it is a tabletop decor and can also be used as a paper weight.  It is also a "deadly weapon".  The pointy head piece can double as an icepick!  LOL.
• I recently saw several pieces of this in one local department store here in the Philippines that imports home furnishings from around the world.  Those pieces however, aren't enameled.  They have a monochromatic gold tone.  Mine's prettier!
• current price of a brand new piece (with the monochromatic gold tone) of this size ranges from 60 to 80 USD.  Enameled and oxidized pieces may be priced higher.

A Bit of Trivia:

• Did you know that "Siam" is the ancient name of Thailand?  It has a monarch and a royal family.  Their kingdom in Southeast Asia is the only one not occupied by foreign invaders.
• Did you know that brass is a metal alloy composed of copper and zinc?  A lot of decorative items, some musical instruments, as well as some firearms are made of brass.