Most classical Thai art originated in or under the patronage of the royal courts. It is an amalgam of the finest cultural traditions of Asia, blended and transformed into unique creations instantly recognisable as Thai.
Classical art encompasses Buddhist art as represented in religious architecture, mural painting, decorative techniques,and Buddha images.Such art reflected the complex formal structure and etiquette of court culture, with its strong Indian influences,and expressed both spiritual and intellectual impulses.Entertainment was considered to be of secondary importance in this category of art.
Popular art, on the other hand, arose from age-old village realities and the rites associated with birth, death, and the seasonal cycle of crop cultivation.
When speaking of Thai art in general, one can distinguish between these two groups. Different as they are, however, they are complementary and mutually reinforce each other. Much classical or court-inspired art later evolved into simpler forms which found popular appeal. Classical drama, for example, moved into the realm of popular culture in the form of comic folk-opera.
Traditional Manual Arts
During the Ayutthaya period writers, painters, dancers, sculptors, architects, musicians, and skilled craftsmen came under the royal patronage of kings and the nobility.Thai architects and artists were responsible for building and decorating palaces, monasteries, and shrines in conventionally acceptable forms and styles.Unlike their Western counterparts, they were not expected to display revolutionary originality or inventiveness. Thus arts and craftsmanship were transmitted from generation to generation according to rigid discipline.
In an attempt to provide general training to Thai craftsmen, especially those who worked in the palaces, the Krom Chang Sip Mu (Organization of the Ten Crafts) was established. According to Prince Pradit Worakam, who was placed in charge of the Chang Sip Mu Department during the reign of King Rama V, the original organization in fact covered as least 13 different craftmen: drawers, paper-makers, engravers, figure-makers, modellers, plasterers, lacquerers, metal beaters, turners, moulders, woodcarvers. sculptors, and carpenters.
In the Bangkok period, these were grouped into 10 divisions: drawing (which included draughtsmen, painters, muralists, and manuscript illustrators), engraving (woodcarvers, engravers on metal, precious metal inlay), turning (lathe-workers, carpenters and joiners, glass mosaic workers), sculpting (paper sculptors, decorative fruit and vegetable carvers), modelling (beeswax moulders and bronze casters, mask and puppet makers), figure-making (dummy and prototype makers), moulding (craftsmen in bronze and metal casting), plastering (bricklayers, lime plasterers, stucco workers and sculptors), lacquering (masters of lacquerware and mother of-pearl inlay), and beating (metal beaters and finishers of metal articles).
Contemporary Thai arts and crafts, though modernized to some extent through improved technology, are still very much inspired by tradition. Ranging from delicately wrought silverware tonumerous utilitarian items of everyday life, they are part of the kingdomΓÇÖs rich cultural heritage.
Painting
Classical Thai painting was confined to temple and palace interiors and book illustrations. Mural painting was developed to a high degree in the belief that walls should enhance the beauty of the religious and royal objects they surrounded.
Traditional Thai painting was typically Asian in that conventional perspective was ignored and figures were large or small depending on their importance. Shadows were unknown and space was neutral rather than atmospheric.Figures were two dimensional and landscapes were merely sketchily-treated backdrops for detailed action. A technique of pictorial composition called ΓÇ£apportioning areasΓÇ¥ was employed, comparable to the ΓÇ£birdΓÇÖ s eye viewΓÇ¥of Western painting. By this method, the positions of the key scenes were assigned first and then closed off with ΓÇ£space transformersΓÇ¥ that effectively isolated them from considerations of perspective by doing away with any surrounding intermediate or middle ground.
The traditional Thai painter had five primary pigments, the close equivalent of scarlet lake, yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, pipe clay-white, and pot-black. With these he was able to produce many other colours. All were tempera colours, finely ground powders that were stirred into bowls containing a glue binder, using sticks to work it to the desired strength and consistency. With these colours the traditional artists created uniquely beautiful compositions in the form of temple murals, cloth banners, and manuscript illustrations.
The earliest surviving murals are characterized by earth colours made from natural pigments. They depicted excerpts from the Jataka stories, episodes from the BuddhaΓÇÖs life, scenes of Buddhist heaven and hell, rows of gods, and scenes of contemporary Thai life. The murals in BangkokΓÇÖs Wat Suthat and ThonburiΓÇÖs Wat Suwannaram are particularly fine examples.
The traditional painting technique continued into the Bangkok period, when colours became richer thanks to pigments imported from China. Around the middle of the 19th century, artists began using chemical pigments and Western perspective. Spatial values were eschewed for atmospheric affects and opulent gold leaf and bold primary colours radically altered the delicate harmony of the old subdued earth colours.
Noted Thai painters of today are sometimes recognized and awarded the status of ΓÇ£National Artist.ΓÇ¥ Among those who have achieved this distinction are Fua Hariphitak, Chalerm Nakeeraksa, Sanit Dispandha, and Tawee Nanthakwang.
Sculpture
Thai sculptors of the past concentrated almost exclusively on Buddha images, producing works that rank among the worldΓÇÖs greatest expressions of Buddhist art. These have ranged in size from SukhothaiΓÇÖs gigantic seated Buddha at Wat Si Chum, which measures 11 metres from knee to knee, to tiny fingernail-sized Buddhas worn as amulets. Their greatest achievements were during the Sukhothai period, when the smoothness and sheen of cast metals perfectly matched the graceful, elongated simplicity of the basic form.To emphasize the spiritual qualities of Buddhism,Thai sculptors eschewed
anatomical details such as muscles and bone structure, realising that these would only distract from the enigmatic serenity that was their goal.
Thai sculpture received a boost in 1933 when an Italian sculptor,Corado Feroci, founded the Fine Arts School which in 1943 became Silpakorn University.Having first arrived in Thailand in 1924 to work with the Royal Fine Arts Department on the creation of monumental sculptures,Feroci is today
remembered as the father of modern art in Thailand. He became a Thai citizen in 1944, changing his name to Silpa Bhirasri, and served as Dean of the Painting and Sculpture Faculty until his death in 1962.
Many of his students have been awarded with the status of ΓÇ£National ArtistΓÇ¥. These include, for example, Paitoon Muangsoomboon, Chit Rianpracha, and Pimarn Moolpramook, whose works have appeared in various places. Another artist who is well-known among Thais and abroad is Misiem Yip-in-tsoi. She took up painting first and then sculpture. Examples of her works, many of which depict children, can be seen in many private collections as well as in several public parks. Many modern Thai sculptors have experimented with the artistic possibilities of new methods borrowed from industrial technology to create works both simple and incredibly complex in meaning and effect. Others have taken objects out of their ordinary environment and turned them into arresting works of art.
Lacquerware and Mother-of-Pearl Inlay
The art of making lacquer originally came to Thailand from China, probably by way of Burma (now Myanmar),but over the centuries distinctively Thai designs and techniques were evolved. It became a notable handicraft in the northern province of Chiang Mai and is still made there in a number of households.
Lacquerware begins with finelywoven bamboo basketry or well-seasoned wood which has been carved or shaped on a lathe into the desired shape.To this is first applied a basic coating material called samuk,consisting of the ashes of burnt rice-paddy husks or ground clay mixed with rak, or black lacquer, obtained from a tree which grows in the northern hills.When dry, this is polished with soap-stone and then another coating is applied. This process is repeated again and again for up to fifteen times, building up a rigid base of durable lacquer. At the end, a final characters are given with a sandpaper-like leaf called bai-nad.
The object is then ready for several coats of pure black lacquer, from three to six coatings. The final layer is polished with water and powdered fired clay, giving it a glistening shine.
A design is then applied by either a method called lai kud or one called lai rot nam.If the object is to be in colour lai kud is used, while lai rot nam is for objects with gold designs. At the end of the process the colour or gold stands out against a background of glossy black.
The use of mother of pearl to adorn objects has a long history in Thailand. Stucco pieces embedded with bits of shell have been found at monuments dating back to the A.D Dvaravati period (6th to 11th centuries A.D.), and some form of the art may have existed even before in coastal regions.
But these early efforts were crude compared with the magnificent works achieved in the late Ayutthaya and early Bangkok periods,when temple doors and windows,manuscript boxes, alms bowls, and numerous other items were splendidly decorated by the painstaking process the Thais call khruang muk. The craft continues to thrive today in the production of exquisitely detailed furniture, mirror frames, boxes, and trays that are the pride of owners both in Thailand and abroad.
The mother-of-pearl inlay technique involves the patient cutting of the opalescent muk fai, or flame snail, indigenous to the Gulf of Thailand. The outer surface of this shell is removed with a special knife and the pearly inner shell is cut into fairly flat pieces, each about two and a half centimetres long. Sanded flat, they are glued to wooden surfaces to form patterns or scenes and the area in between is filled with lacquer.
Pottery
Handsome pots dating back more than 5,000 years have been found at Ban Chiang in northeastern Thailand, and the art of shaping and firing clay has continued to the present day. Simple earthenware vessels are still used for cooking and storage, while more sophisticated glazed pottery is also being produced by methods introduced from China 700 years ago.
Almost every region of the country has its own traditional pottery. The north, for example, makes fine low-fired pots and water jars, lightly glazed with terra cotta and oil to make them capable of holding liquids; by northern custom, one of these pots is placed outside most temples and private homes so that thirsty strangers can stop and refresh themselves. Dark brown pottery in a wide variety of shapes, from flower pots to fanciful animals, is produced at kilns near the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima and Ratchaburi, west of Bangkok, is noted for its beautifully decorated water storage jars, yellowish-green in colour and adorned with dragons and swirling floral motifs.
According to tradition, the art of making delicate blue-green celadon began at the end of the 13th century, when King Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai brought 300 Chinese potters to his kingdom. Within a short time, the high-fired stoneware was being traded throughout Southeast Asia, all the way to the Philippines and Indonesia.
The celadon industry declined with Sukhothai but has been revived in recent years in the northern city of Chiang Mai. The technique is still the same as in ancient times, using a clear glaze made from feldspar, limestone, ash, and a small amount of red clay. The wood used for firing the kilns Comes from a small jungle tree that grows north of Chiang Mai, the ash of which is supposed to help impart the typical celadon colour. Several companies are now making the stoneware, which is becoming a noted Thai export once again.
Weaving: From Thai Silk to Homespun
Hilltribe Cloths
The gorgeously irridescent, nubby Thai silk may have originated in northeastern Thailand, where cloth weaving is a traditional folk craft. Rearing their own silkworms and spinning and dyeing the yarn, northeast village women use primitive hand looms to produce shimmering bolts of cloth for
sale in faraway markets.
Though it prospered in early Bangkok, the silk industry went into a long decline starting in the latter part of the 19th century when cheaper, factory-produced fabrics from China and Japan began to flood the market.An attempt to improve production was made during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, when Japanese experts were brought in and a Department of Sericulture was established, but the effort enjoyed limited success. A few years after World War II, an American named Jim Thompson revived the industry and made the silk known to international markets. There are a number of silk companies today, many of them in or around Bangkok, but the northeast is still the main centre of production; near the northeastern town of Pak Thong Chai, the company Jim Thompson founded has built the largest hand-weaving facility in the world.
Besides plain and printed silks of various weights, a number of special weaves have become celebrated. One of these is called mudmee, a kind of ikat which is a specialty of the northeast.
Thanks to the encouragement of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, mudmee is now in wide use. Another sought-after silk is richly brocaded with gold and silver thread in traditional Thai patterns. This requires the most time and skill to make and is therefore the most expensive, used mainly on such ceremonial occasions as weddings.
Thai silk is today the best known of all the countryΓÇÖs handicrafts, found not only in countless local shops but also throughout the world. It is exported in plain lengths, plaids, brocades, stripes, prints, and checks and is supported by an extensive manufacturing and sales infrastructure, a far cry from its humble origins.
Supple handwoven Thai cotton is also popular. Made in a variety of weights for both clothing and home furnishings, it is being exported in increasing quantities.
Fine embroidery is one of the traditional crafts of the northern hilltribes, with the Hmong and Yao people being particularly skilled at creating splendid, boldly-coloured geometric designs. In long strips, these are used to edge a skirt or jacket, in squares to enhance a vest or shoulder bag, in larger pieces to make a handsome quilt. Her Majesty Queen Sirikit has long been an admirer of tribal embroidery and has helped promote the craft, particularly on homespun cloths such as cotton and local hemp that produces a fabric resembling linen, among fashionable ladies in Bangkok and in other countries as well.
Nielloware
The art of khruang thom, as the Thais call nielloware, is believed to have come to the country during the Ayutthaya period. The precise origin is uncertain; some scholars say it came from China, while others give Persia as the source. In any case, it became a popular craft in southern Thailand, particularly in Nakhon Si Thammarat, and is still produced there.
Fine nielloware is usually made of pure silver, sometimes later plated with gold. The metal is bought by the craftsmen in thin sheets, from which the desired shape is cut and welded into a crude, three-dimensional form. After the design has been engraved ΓÇô usually traditional, such as Thai flame or an intricate floral motif ΓÇô an oxidizing solution is applied to the parts in high relief, turning them a permanent blue black.The piece is then filed to remove all the rough edges and given a final polishing.
Nielloware objects have been made in almost every conceivable shape, from elaborate coffee and tea sets to handbags and buttons. It is one of ThailandΓÇÖs most distinctive and beautiful crafts.
Silverware
Though silverware is made in several parts of Thailand, the most famous centre is Chiang Mai, where it has been a prominent local handicraft for at least a thousand years. In ancient times, it was concentrated in a village called Wua Lai, just outside the city wall; the village has long been absorbed by the modern city but the area where it stood is still noted for its silver.
Northern silversmiths have applied their skills to a great variety of objects, from goblets to swords, but their most common products have been ceremonial bowls and boxes of assorted sizes. These are usually adorned with elaborate decorations, either figures or traditional Thai motifs.
SUPPORT
Handicrafts like silverware, nielloware, lacquerware, and mother-of-pearl inlay were once produced only in artisansΓÇÖ homes. Today these traditional skills, some of which are in danger of
disappearing, are being gradually expanded to non-artisans, especially in rural areas. A leading factor in this has been the Foundation for the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques, popularly known as SUPPORT, founded by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit to provide Thai farmers with sufficient training to enable them to turn out high-quality crafts and thus earn extra income between crops or in times of difficulty. SUPPORT has set up numerous projects throughout the country as well as retail outlets, and the Queen has personally undertaken several trips abroad to promote the handicrafts on the world market. Another stimulus came in 1988-89,which was designated as Thai Arts and Crafts Year, when 104 projects were set up to promote and market handicrafts by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. In this way, many of ThailandΓÇÖs most treasured traditional crafts have been revived and are now finding new admirers outside the country.
In 1992, to mark the auspicious occasion of Her Majesty the QueenΓÇÖs 60th birthday, the SUPPORT Museum was opened in the Aphisek Dusit Pavilion in Dusit Palace, Bangkok. The main
collections in the museum include masterpieces from the SUPPORT Foundation. It is open to the public daily.
