There are many sculpted images of Buddha at Vientiane's great Thatluang Stupa, among the most spectacular sights in Laos. This particular Buddha may, in the first instant you look at it, seem somewhat obscured by the soft background glittering with gilded flower petals. That is what I intended – to at first obscure detail by creating this brilliant distraction, which ultimately helps reveal detail with greater force than usual. Amazingly, the sharply focused face of Buddha snaps into into play and you may see, perhaps for the first time, new details that carry great meaning. Devoted Buddhists adorn the faces of these Buddha sculpted images with very thin strips of foil pounded from solid gold. And this face has patches of solid gold foil all over it, particularly on the nose, lips, and eyes. It is the Buddhist way of expressing devotion. This detail certainly makes the point of such devotion. The gilding is costly, the sight incongruous, the meaning glorious. It’s all in the surprising detail.