Thai Arts And Architecture
An important part of anyone's experience of Thailand is the discovery
of its classical arts and architecture. Originally revealing the influences
 of such cultures as India, China, and Sri Lanka, these have evolved over
seven centuries into something uniquely and memorably
Thai.
For much of the country's history the artistic
impulse was largely religious, and the greatest achievements can be seen
in its countless Buddhist monasteries andtheir adomments. The ancient capital
of Sukhothai saw the emergence of the earliest styles that can be called
distinctively Thai-the graceful lotus bud finial, for example, which can
stiU be seen on the ruins of many temples in the city. Ayutthaya, which
ruled for 400 years, was characterized by more elaborately decorated temples,
and these continued to be built well into the Rattanakosin, or Bangkok
period, as can be seen in the dazzling structures of the Grand Palace and
the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
The classic decorations include magnificently
carved wooden panels, used for ga-bles, doors, and windows and often inlaid
with splendid mother-of-pearl decorations, as well as glass mosaic and
stucco embedded with multi-coloured pieces of porcelain. On many temples,
the interior walls are covered with intricate, densely populated mural
paintings which de- piet the life of the Buddha or
moralistic fables used in teaching Buddhist precepts.
In religious sculpture, too, Thai
art has reached impressive peaks, comparable to any produced elsewhere
in Asia. The Sukhothai Buddha image with its combination of power and flowing
grace is admired by scholars everywhere, while the bronze and stone creations
of Ayutthaya, often ofhuge size, command artistic respect as well. The
Angkorian empire also extended into parts of Thailand, leaving behind Khmer
temples and sculpture of major importance.
In addition to these monuments to faith,
the Thai creative genius can be seen in other forms. The domestic Thai
house, though simple in its prefabricated structure, has a remarkable elegance
of line with its slightly slanted walls, steep roofs, and dramatically
curving roof-ends. Thai artisans in the Sukhothai period produced superb
glazed pottery, widely exported in the region at the time and much prized
by collectors today. Moreover countless items used in daily life-from water
jars and baskets to spinning wheels and textiles-are distinguished by a
beauty of design that lifts them into the category of true art, well worth
contemporary appreciation.
Suggested places in Bangkok to appreciate Thai arts and architecture
The National Museum
1. Na Phra That Rd.,
Tel: (02) 2241333, 2241396
2. Wat Suthat
Banvung Muang Rd., Bangkok
3. Wat Pho
Sanamchai Rd., TeL (02) 2220933
4. The Royal Barge National
Museum
Khlong Bangkok Noi, Arun Amarin Rd.
TeL (02) 4240004
5. Suan Pakkard Palace
Si Ayutthaya Rd., Tel: (02) 2454934
6. Jim Thompson's Thai House
Rama I Rd,, Tel; (02) 2150122
7. Ban Kamthieng (Siam Society)
131 Soi Asoke (Sukhumvit 21)
Tel: (02) 2583491
8. Prasart Museum
9 Soi Asoke (Sukhuvit 21 )
Tel: (02) 2583491
9. Soi Krungthep Kritha 4, Si
Nakharin Rd., Phra Khanong
9 Soi Krungthep Kritha 4 , Si Nakharin Rd., Phra KhanongT>
Tel: C02) 3746384
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