Thai Floral Arrangements
No one can spend much time in Thailand without encountering the ephemeral but
exquisite art of Thai floral decoration, whether in the form of an intricately
 woven wreath of flowers-- like a sweetly-scented piece of jewelry--presented
as a welcome gift of one of the even more complex creations that turn up
as both table decorations and religious offerings.
The term "arrangement" though often
used, could be misleading to a Westerner, implying as it does a more or
less natural configuration. The Thaiachievement, on the other hand, is
actually to turn flowers into beautiful objects that have no counterpart
in nature but rather proudly proclaim the4 artistic skills of man.
Such creations can be roughly divided
into three general groups. The first consists of those made by the roi
method, which means threaded into garlands and leis of many types, the
most common being the colourful mixtures of jasmine, roses, and other flowers
sold outside almost every temple and shrine for use as offerings; sometimes
garlands are hung at windows and doors or suspended like chandeliers from
the ceiling.
Then there are the chat phan, or bowl
arrangements, much more elaborate, in which the flowers are embedded in,
 or sewn over, a mound of damp clay or sand. Traditionally in a rounded
pyramidal shape resembling a lotus bud, these are among the most beautiful
examples of the art, in dazzlinggeometric
patterns that might easily be mistaken for multi-coloured porcelain.
The third group involves deftly folded
banana leaves in often fantastic shapes, used in many traditional Thai
ceremonies, known as bai si there are found in every region though in different
designs. One kind, for example, known as bai-si pak cham, has a central
banana-leaf cone filled with cooked rice and surmounted by a hard-boiled
egg, which is sometimes further adorned with a jasmine crown; surrounding
this are other, elongated cones decorated with various flowers. This extraordinary
structure is placed in spirit houses to inspire good fortune or sometimes
given as a token of respect by a student to his teacher.
Requiring both dextrous skill and
a rare aesthetic sense, such floral creations are an integral part of Thai
culture, still as vividly alive today as they have been throughout the
king-dom's history.
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