Adorn
Dibyanivasa Building : Visual
Arts 3
Silapa Rattanakosin Resource
Center
“ Education
arts and culture are the primary sources
of intellectual and mental progression.
They are the foundation and elements of
all advancement and, also, are the
important factor in conserving Our Thai
identity...” Royal Guidance
of His Majesty the King Bumibol
Adulyadej at the graduation ceremony of
Silpakorn University on 12 October
1970.
The special
characteristic of arts in Rattanakosin
era depict His Majesty's preference
and international relationship which
play an important role in the
combination of Thai and western arts.
The evidence of social surrounding,
economic, belief and prosperity appeared
in these works of
arts. Magnificent Thai (1782
A.D.-1809A.D.)
King Rama 1 had the
intention to restore craftsmanship and
artistic works as it used to be in
Ayuddhaya era. He gathered skillful
craftsmen and artisans to build the new
capital hence the arts in his reign
carried on the tradition of Ayuddhaya
era as known as "Traditional
Thai” Golden
Age of Thai Arts (1809 A.D. - 1824
A.D.)
By the end of King
Rama Is, Siam was ceased from war and
returned to a peaceful atmosphere. The
tranquility ambience in the reign of
King Rama 2 was an excellent time to
restore and create all kinds of
arts:painting, literature, music and
dance. This made his reign was named
“Golden Age of Thai
arts. Foreign
Artisan in
Siam
Most of the
foreigners in the earlyRattanakosin era
arrived in Siam on Christianity purpose.
In the reign of King Rama 5, the King
employed foreign artisans to work at
various departments in order to
modernize the country. The foreign
artisans: a German, an English and an
Italian, played a very important role in
Thai arts in that
period.
The employment of
foreign artisans in the reign of King
Rama 5 inspiredthe cultural interchange
between Thai and foreign artisans. Apart
from the Italian artisans who had great
influence in Thai architect, the German
and English artisan also played
important role, too. This stimulated the
extensive research and educated in the
artist circle. Royal
Court as an Artisans Patronage
Center
The commission to
build the temples and the palaces is one
form of royal patronages; Siam artisans
acquired their knowledgeas an apprentice
in these places.Up to the time Siam
embraced influential culture from
western countries, the alteration began
in every fields: painting, sculpture and
architecture. It can be said that
western and eastern culture perfectly
integrated. The
Visual Artsin the Royal
Court Combination of Arts from
Aboard (1824 AD - 1851
AD.)
In the reign of
King Rama 3, the establishment of
diplomatic and commercial relationship
between Siam (former name of Thailand)
and China enhanced the combination of
Thai and Chinese arts. The kings favor
of Chinese arts inaeased its popularity
among the monarchs and aristocrats.
Sulptures and other form of arts were
imported to decorate palaces, homes and
monasteries. First
Encounter with Western World (1851AD. -
1868
AD.)
Western arts first
entered to the court of Siam in the
reign of King Rama 4. Pra Nakorn Kiri is
the good sample of western architecture
in the early age. In the area of
religious, the mural painting by Krua In
Kong, using the bird-eye-view
perspective technique, marked the
integration of Thai and western
arts. Siam
Civilization (1868 AD. - 1910
AD.)
After the reign of
King Rama 4, Siam was threatened by
colonialism. In order to survive, King
Rama 5 planned for the modernization and
reformation of the country to be
equivalent with western countries. One
of his policies was to build magnificent
palaces and office building thus western
arts began to mix with Thai way of
life. Practical Thai (1910AD. -
1925AD)
In the reign of
King Rama 6, Arts in Siam was the
combination of western style and Thai
style according to the king's
preference. He collected skillful
artists from various fields and
established the Department of
Entertainment (Department of Fine Arts
at present). He also was the founder of
"Pohchang School of Fine
Arts", the first arts school in
Thailand. Modern
but SimpleStyle (1925AD. -
1937AD.)
The reign of King
Rama 7, Siam was in the era of
transformation in all aspects: economic
politic and state of society. The works
of arts at this time took simplicity and
usefulness into consideration as known
as "Modern
Style" Arts
and the People's Party (1937AD. -
1946AD)
Arts, in the reign
of King Rama 8, was produced under the
concept of “Equality” and
carried on the "Modern Style”
to be the mirror image of this idea.
Arts in this time had political trace
underneath in order to gain legitimacy
of the new regime and created
nationalistic
ideology. Contemporary Thai
(1946AD. -
2016AD)
Arts, according to
King Rama 9's initiative, was an
excellent model of the development of
Thai arts by applying traditional Thai
style with various design, giving a
modern touch induding technique,
material and creativity. Arts in this
period was known as "Contemporary
Thai
Arts”
Inner
Court in Suan
Sunandha
“ No tranquil
place where I can be on my own I should
have an inner garden where I can roam
around alone On second thought, my
family is in decline. Sooner or later,
they will move away so it is better to
stop the extension wall to Suan
Sunandha. The layout will be more
complicated if we abolish it later. The
northern area will become a desolation
area. We still have time to adjust
because we begin the project from the
southern part." His Majesty
King Chulachomkao addressed to Chao
Praya Yommaraj (Pan
Sukkum) after returning
from his Second Royal State Visit to
Europe in the year
1906
When SuanSunandha
was the resident of female members of
the royal family(1919 A.D.-1932 AD.) it
was one of the most pleasurable places.
In the middle of this vast plot of land
was a large pond and manmade canals
dotted naturally with small islets and
hills. The area was shady with different
kinds of
trees.” M.R.
SangsurnLadawan Younger half-brother of
M.R.
SadabLadawan "The
mansions that belong to the queens,
princess and consorts lined the ground,
on slope and by the stream with flowers
and vegetable planted around their
buildings. It was pleasant to the
eyes." M.R.
Sangsurn Ladawan Younger half-brother of
M.R.
SadabLadawan Suan
Sunandha the Garden
Palace
The western area of
Suan Sunandha palace was built by the
command of king Rama 5. He wanted to
construct a new place where he could
spend his leisure time and the resident
of the female members of the royal
family after his
reign.
King Rama 6
furthered the construction until
completely finished according to the
royal wish of his father. This place was
the resident of the queen, daugthers and
consorts of the king Rama 5 until the
occurrence of Sian Revolution in 1932
which marked the finale of the inner
court
era. Thai
architect and Foreign architect in
SuanSunandha
Suan Sunandha was
designed by Mr. A.Rigassi an Italian
architect, ChaoPrayaYommaraj (Pan
Sukkum) was a construction director and
Praya Prachakornvijarana (Oh
Amattayakul) was a Construction
Supervisor. The 122 rai plot of land
(approximately 21 hectares) comprised
manmade small hill, small streams zigzag
among alluring garden and a large pond
surrounded by beautiful royal
mansions. Chudharattanaporn
building : Music
Exhibition. Ardhorn
Tippyanivas building : Visual Arts
Exhibition. Auan-achava Dhamdhawalaya
Building : Thai classical dances
Exhibitions.
Suan Sunandha
comprised royal mansions and houses of
other members of the inner court. The
size of the mansions and the houses
varied according to the rank of the
owner and the number of the habitants.
There were large-size, medium-size and
small-size royal mansions and the house
of His Majesty's consorts. The
landscape of SuanSunandha was designed
beautifully and was a good example of
the perfect combination of eastern and
western
architecture.
There are three
small mansions standing close together
in a row. The position of the mansions
represents the close relationship of the
owners: HRH Princess Chudharattana
Rajkumaree, HRH Princess
ArdhornTippyanibha and Chao Com Euan and
Chao Com Tham. At present these mansions
are the location of "Three silpas
Museum”. Nongkran Samosorn
Palace Modern
Architect at Nongkran Samosorn
Palace
The objective of
this palace was to be the residence of
H.M. Queen Regent Sribhajarindhara, the
Queen Mother. However H.M. the Queen
Mother preferred to stay at Phaya Thai
palace so the palace was renovated as a
central audience hall using in the royal
merit making occasion or party at the
royal
pleasure.
The palace was
built using wall bearing structure
system with pointed arch shell in
reinforced concrete. The galleries
between each curved wall were adorned
with fresco paintingwhich make this
palace the first place in Thailand that
used this technique. Fresco technique
was first
introduce Inner
Court in the Grand
Palace
Since the beginning
of Rattanakosin era the inner court in
the Grand Palace had been the residence
of the queen, consorts, female members
of the royal family and consorts of the
previous kings. By the reign of King
Rama 5, the grand palace was
overpopulated. The King had
broughtwestern architecture to renovate
the old mansions making architectural
pattern in the inner court varied
according to the background of each
architect. Saun
Hong
mansion The
residence of HRH princes
Sasiphongprapai. Inner court in
Dusit Palace
Dusit palace was
built in the reign of King Rama 5 as a
place for relaxation because the grand
palace was so congested that the air was
not well ventilated. When he had moved
to reside at Dusit palace permanently he
had order to build the group of mansion
in the west area. The
landscapecomprisedbeautiful garden with
small steam ran in between. Most of the
mansions were in Victorian style
architecture, elaborated with decorative
trims, known as “Gingerbread
Home” Artistic Work : the
Feminine Aesthetic
Arts
"Formerly, the
learning center for women was in the
royal palace. Their level of education
depended on their social status and
circumstances. The guardian of the girl
had to have a good connection with
someone in the inner court, may be a
relative or trusty person, then the
girlwas sent to live withthe head of the
mansion since her
childhood" Prince
Damrongrachanuphap Artistic Work of the
Inner Royal
Court
The inner court was
the center of high-society females and
nurtured them to be ladies who were
completed with ability and capability.
Their fine arts, in particular, were
renowned of supreme
quality. FloralArts
FloralArts was
Counted as a piece of work that showed
off the owner's talent. Many female
monarchs were capable to create
wonderful pieces of work. H.R.H
SmorrattanaSirichet could always find
new technique in flower arrangement,
H.R.H. Princess Suddhasininat was
renowned of her floral net and Chao
KhunPraprayoonwong was renowned of her
distinctive garlands, to name but a
few. Embroidery
Embroidery in the
inner court of Rattanakosin was elevated
to the peak of its design, delicacy and
exquisite. Embroidery was mainly used in
clothing material up to the reign of
King Rama 5 when the integration with
other arts began. Queen SaovabhaPhongsri
granted her courtiers an education in
Japan in the field of home economics and
drawing. After they came back, their
knowledge were adjusted with traditional
Thai work and created a unique
characteristic of Thai
embroidery.
