Beasts, birds, and blossoms in Thai art

Abundant wildlife, colourful birds, and luxuriant tropical plants have inspired Thai artists since neolithic times. Thais have blended these familiar motifs with the foreign designs of India, China, Sri Lanka, Persia, Burma, Cambodia, and Europe to create a unique repertory of decorative art.

These beasts, birds, and blossoms ornament the fine arts of painting and sculpture as well as the crafts of ceramics, textiles, wood- and ivory-carvings, silver repousse, lacquerware, nielloware, and mother-of-pearl inlay.

Following age-old traditions, Thais decorate their temples, palaces, and village huts with a unique mixture of realistic and mythic, native and foreign design. Devout Buddhist patrons commission artists to adorn their temples with detailed statues, elaborate architectural fittings, furniture, and utensils. Artists continue to create sumptuous works of gold, silver, or precious genes for Thai royalty.

Ordinary Thais, even today, enliven their existence with nature motifs: women wear bright skirts decorated with lush flowers, rural villagers carve elephants on their ox-carts. This book traces the evolution of nature motifs and explores their symbolism in Thai crafts and fine arts.