**Traditional Thai art and architecture absorbed a strong Chinese influence during the reign of King Rama III **
Published: 12/09/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Brunch
For those who are familiar with Buddhist temples and their curved finials, the appearance of Wat Ratchaoros Wararam, an ancient temple by a small canal in Chom Thong district in the Thon Buri area, may raise a few eyebrows with its distinctly Chinese flavour.
STYLISH: A signature of ‘Silpa Raja Niyom’ is the use of Chinese ceramics to decorate a gable.
Nowhere on the pediment, gable or signature Thai-style roof are the traditional kanok motifs, or Naga, the mythic serpent, to be found. Instead, the decorative ornaments turn out to be Chinese - ceramics and motifs of flowers, fruit and even mythical animals such as dragons.
Splendid light columns with glittering Thai-style motifs or coloured-glass mosaics are replaced by big and obtuse square pillars.
On the windows and doors, there are no black-gold lacquer paintings or bas-relief bearing figures of devas or Thai-style guardian angels - a signature motif of traditional Thai art.
Instead, there are statues and paintings of Chinese warriors and images of foreigners.
Fans of traditional Thai mural paintings must be prepared for another surprise as they enter the ordination chapel. Instead of images from the Ramayana epic or Jataka Tales of the Lord Buddha and his reincarnation chronicles, the mural paintings bears images of tables heavily laden with items to worship Chinese deities, reminiscent of tables for ancestor worshipping in the Chinese New Year Festival.
DETAILED: ‘Silpa Raja Niyom’ mural paintings often depicted items from daily life and characters from Chinese mythology and literature. PHOTOS: PROF SAKCHAI SAISINGHA
In another picture, a mural painting shows images of furniture and Chinese-style shelves with decorative ornaments such as flower vases, fruit, China dolls and stationery items.
For Prof Sakchai Saisingha, deputy dean at the Faculty of Archaeology at Silpakorn University, this temple’s design may not represent what people expect of traditional Thai art with its refinement and embellishment. But the issue of art and beauty can be debated endlessly.
“After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” said Professor Sakchai, an expert on Thai art history.
For art history buffs, the temple - which is believed to be built when Ayutthaya was still the capital - has its own significance. Restored over two centuries ago by Prince Jesda Bodin, who later became King Rama III, Wat Ratchaoros Wararam is early evidence of Silpa Raja Niyom (Royally Favoured Art), - an unorthodox style of Thai art that contains influences of Chinese architecture, art, and civil construction methods.
CLASSIC: Mural paintings in a ‘Silpa Raja Niyom’ style featuring items from daily life. PHOTO: BOONTHIP JAREECHAIYONTIN
Silpa Raja Niyom enjoyed a brief-yet-illustrious dominance during the reign of King Rama III between 1824 and 1851. Largely due to his deep and amicable ties with China, the monarch adopted the style and construction methods, not to mention construction materials, to restore and build temples in Bangkok and Thon Buri.
On the surface, Silpa Raja Niyom is a hybrid between Thai and Chinese art.
But in terms of art history, it was an early “revolution” in art and architecture in Thailand, said Prof Sakchai.
Since the birth of Siam during the Sukhothai period more than 700 years ago, art and architecture have been dominated by Silpa Praphaynee Niyom (Traditional Thai Art).
Silpa Praphaynee Niyom is a form of art that serves Buddhism and Hindu credos, and often depicts, whether in architecture, sculpture or painting, images of Buddha or stories from the Hindu epic, Ramayana. In architecture, the design and decorative elements feature minuscule, splendid and glittering details rendered by traditional artisans who spent countless days, months or perhaps years, creating art.
OLD IS GOLD: Wat Ratchaoros Wararam, which was restored by King Rama III, is early evidence of ‘Silpa Raja Niyom’ (Royally Favoured Art) —an unorthodox style of Thai art that contains influences of Chinese architecture, art and civil construction methods.
Yet, the traditional style has its disadvantages - it is time-consuming, labour-intensive and high-maintenance. Wood is often used as the basic material.
“King Rama III looked at temples differently. At that time, the country was prosperous and he built temples to help unite society. Thus the king took a new approach,” said Prof Sakchai.
At that time, many temples had been destroyed during the wars with Burma and the new capital needed a lot of redevelopment.
Meanwhile, it became harder to find artisans to create art and build temples at the speed that King Rama III wished.
Instead, the monarch used Chinese labourers as well as more sturdy building materials to restore the scores of temples in the city and its vicinity.
The adoption of Chinese civil construction techniques and materials such as large pillars allowed for more temple extensions and offered greater durability.
"Royally Favoured Art is not just about aesthetics. It is about durability and functionality as much as cost efficiency.
“Thus, all new temple constructions at the time were to be durable, easy and fast to build and easy to maintain,” said Prof Sakchai.
If art could tell stories, it would tell of the social conditions during the period when it was created.
At that time, Siam was a melting pot of expatriate communities - Chinese, Indians and Westerners, had all come to trade in the Kingdom.
Early evidence of expatriates is depicted in the decoration of windows and doors of temples built under the school of Silpa Raja Niyom.
TRIBUTE: Legacies of Silpa Raja Niyom, right, can be found at many temples across the city, including Wat Thepthidaram that King Rama III built to pay tribute to his relatives. PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHER: PATSINEE KRANLERT
“During the reign of King Rama III, at least 90 temples were built or restored, as well as more than 100 community places of worship. It was known that King Rama III liked to build and restore temples, and the elite and wealthy who did the same would gain the monarch’s favour,” said Prof Sakchai.
Silpa Raja Niyom disappeared soon after the end of King Rama III.
“His successor, King Rama IV, brought back traditional art and built fewer temples because he had to focus on dealing with Western invaders and protect the country from colonisation,” said Prof Sakchai.
Subsequently, King Chulalongkorn the Great did not concentrate on building temples either, instead modernising the country by building public utilities and facilities such as roads, railways, irrigational system, hospitals and schools, according to Prof Sakchai.
Yet the legacy of Silpa Raja Niyom still stands out because of its unique characteristics and its role in Thai art history. Indeed, many famous temples in Bangkok and Thon Buri are legacies of Silpa Raja Niyom such as Wat Ratchanadda, Wat Thepthidaram, Wat Yannawa, Wat Suthat, Wat Phra Chettuphon Wimon Mangkhlaram or Wat Pho, Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat, Wat Nang Nong, Wat Bangkhunthien (Nai) and Wat Bangkhunthien (Nok), to name but a few.
ROYAL ENTRANCE: The unusual design of the gate at Wat Ratchaoros Wararam is a classic signature of Chineseinfluenced ‘Silpa Raja Niyom’. PHOTO: BOONTHIP JAREECHAIYONTIN
Thanks to their durable structure, most of the temples in the capital and Thon Buri area have survived to the present day, said Prof Sakchai.
"Most of the temples built and restored during the time of King Rama III have survived thanks to the Silpa Raja Niyom style of architecture and construction method.
“And it has helped make Bangkok the unique city it is, dotted with temples that sustain traditional culture and religion, as well as boost tourism.”
Bron: Bangkok Post