Phra Malai Visiting the Buddhist Hells

This manuscript illustration is divided into three vertical sections. On the far left, a monk wearing a red robe and shaven head holds a palm-leaf fan across his shoulders against a red floral patterned background. The center contains columns of black ink Khom Thai script on beige parchment. On the right, a nude figure with a dark, flame-like headpiece is held captive by two black iron rods crossed over their body; below them, two iron pots filled with human heads sit in flames, while a small, wide-eyed figure in a red-topped headdress looks on from the side.

This image illustrates the 'Phra Malai' sutra, a popular Southeast Asian Buddhist text that describes a monk's journey to hell to witness the consequences of karma and to heaven to meet the future Buddha, Maitreya. It serves as a didactic warning regarding the suffering in lower realms.