Saturday October 31, 2009
Rare access
By KEE HUA CHEE
One of Bangkok’s most magnificent buildings, the Ananta Samakhom is little known but is now open to the public and hosting the spectacular Arts of the Kingdom exhibition.
Thailand is justly famous for its handicraft but the incre-dible works of art currently on display under the Arts of the Kingdom exhibition in the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall are not of the sort found in shopping malls, never mind souvenir shops and night bazaars.
These are masterpieces made by the royally appointed goldsmiths and craftsmen of the kingdom for the King and Queen of Thailand.
There are only 23 items on display, all of them replicas of items in the royal family’s collection or from legends, with most measuring around 1m long and 1m-3m high. Apart from the wooden screens, they are either made of solid gold or gilded.
The Sivakakarn palanquin is used for high-ranking royals. — KEE HUA CHEE The golden dazzlers take the shape of palanquin, barge, howdah, boat, the Buddha’s footprint and throne, all scaled down to exquisite proportions. While the royal barges and junks are scale models, the palanquins and royal seats can almost fit a human; however, the elaborate carvings and sharp edges will make sitting on them a risky proposition.
The Sri Suphannahongse Royal Barge is a precise model of the barge of King Rama 1, and is a spectacular work of gold, silver, enamel and diamonds. The Bhudtan Royal Palanquin is a duplicate of the wooden throne inside Dusit Palace (which is nearby) and crafted in gold damascene and embellished with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, diamonds as well as iridescent beetle wings.
The Sivakakarn is a covered palanquin for high-ranking royals with saddled roof and gables of perforated gold and enamelled patterns. The Sappagab Phragajatarn is a howdah once used to carry the king on the back of his personal elephant when going forth to battle. This costlier version on display flaunts a silver inner frame, embossed gold floral designs and embedded with diamonds.
The Busabok Mala is a royal regalia of the highest rank and made of gold niello, damascene, enamel, silver, gold and wood carving embellished with shimmery green and gold beetle wings and intricately woven Yan Lipao vines. The wooden panels, a few of which are left unpainted to show the wood’s natural lustre, are so intricately carved that one can hardly make out the design.
But don’t fret, there is no time limit, and visitors can gasp and gawk as long as it takes.
The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall resembles a European palace. The wooden carved screen the size of a wall tells the legend of Bejaratana and how the first coloured gems were created, while the carved screen of the Sabokkoranee Lotus Pond has three dimensional carvings of lotus buds, leaves and flowers in full bloom. The blossoms are so realistically rendered that one swears they will sway with a gentle breeze.
The vast hall is temperature controlled, though.
Earphones are available but unnecessary as the signs in English explain in detail what you are admiring, their exact use, history and composition.
The only actual-sized objects on show are the cutlery, plates, stemware and table decorations. An entire table is arranged exactly as it was once set for guests of Thailand’s royal family, including the King and Queen of Malaysia when they attended the 60th anniversary of the Thai monarch’s ascension to the throne in 2006.
The table’s centrepiece are a pair of peacocks with diamond studded tails, gold and silver figurines from Thai legends and other auspicious objects, while the menu covers are made of ivory carved with floral motifs and mythical creatures.
Perhaps what is most stunning about the exhibition is the fact that many of the craftsmen who created these item started out as mere farmers, fisherfolk or villagers from remote parts of Thailand.
It all begun on July 21,1976 when Queen Sirikit officially established Support Foundation to promote Thailand’s handicraft and supplement the income of the villagers. On her numerous visits, she would informally meet with her subjects while inspecting the latest arts and crafts. Those showing potential would be sent to Bangkok to be trained.
In 1979, a proper workshop was built on the grounds of Chitralada Villa, part of the sprawling Dusit Palace complex. This became the Support Training Centre, and the best craftspeople came here to teach. As Queen Sirikit is adamant that traditional art forms from all corners of the kingdom be preserved, the training centre also acts as preservation hub for ancient arts in danger of extinction.
It took a decade before the first batch of artisans were deemed worthy of showing off their skills.
The first exhibition was held at River City shopping mall in 1989. Called Perpetuation of National Handicrafts Heritage, it featured humble Yan Lipao basketry. Its great success later paved the way for The Joy of Ceramics and Mudmee Silk exhibitions of 1990.
The barge of King Rama 1 is a spectacular work of gold, silver, enamel and diamonds. Then came the first of the breathtaking Arts of the Kingdom exhibition in 1992, some 13 years after the establishment of the Support Training Centre. Held also at Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, it was to celebrate Queen Sirikit’s 60th birthday. The second Arts of the Kingdom exhibition in 1996 commemorated the King 50th year of ascension to the throne, and the third celebrated his 6th Cycle Birthday Anniversary in 1999. The fourth in 2004 was to honour the Queen’s 6th Cycle Birthday Anniversary.
This current exhibition is to salute the King’s 80th birthday in 2007.
The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall was completed in 1907 and resembles a European palace with its exterior clad entirely in Carrera marble. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) commissioned the palace but died in 1910, and the building was completed in 1915 by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI).
The architects were Italians Rigotto and Tamayo while the mural painters were Prof Galileo Chini and Riguli. While the style is European baroque with rococo touches, the paintings depicted scenes from the Chakri Dynasty, from the first to the sixth reign.
Its construction took eight years and cost 15mil baht (RM1.6mil), a vast sum at the start of the 20th century.
The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall is open daily from 10am-6pm. Entrance fee is 150 baht (RM15). Appropriate attire is required and sarongs can be purchased at the entrance for 40 baht.
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