Showing 71 - 80 of 93
The circus comes to town
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 04/12/2014
» During last month's Harmony World Puppet Carnival Bangkok Thailand 2014, audiences had the rare opportunity to experience the art of puppetry from 80 countries in one place — Rattanakosin Island, the old quarter of Bangkok. More than 100 stages and street shows were inspired by history, pop culture, social situations and used traditional forms of puppetry as well as influences of other performing arts such as circus. Many shows brought smiles, laughter and tears, and many were thought-provoking.
Culture on a string
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 29/10/2014
» While the epic Ramakien is told through nang talung, the art of shadow puppetry from southern Thailand, a shadow puppet from Hamburg, Germany, will portray a child waking up in the middle of the night.
Cremation books bring history to life
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 27/10/2014
» Cremation books — small publications about the deceased's life given out to guests at funerals — are personal memorials that also serve as historical records. Popular since the time of King Rama V, cremation books have become a valuable chronicle of the age, and though the practice's popularity has waned, the importance of such publications (now enhanced by digital platforms such as DVDs and multimedia) remains strong among scholars and history buffs.
Khon brought to life
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 19/09/2014
» On Arkas mountain in a dark forest full of naga (serpents) and other poisonous creatures, monkey warrior Champhuwaraj, disguised as a big black bear, storms a pavilion inside Rothan Hollow. In there he interrupts Intorachit, son of the demon King Thotsakan, during a ritual of soaking his arrow in the pool of naga venom.
Luminescent rite of passage
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 26/08/2014
» Anyone who gets the chance to tour the ordination hall at Wat Ratchapradit Sathitmahasimaram Ratchaworawihan, the temple chosen by King Rama IV to officially represent his reign, will surely notice the many murals depicting royal ceremonies performed during the Rattanakosin period, the era that began with the accession of King Rama 1 to the throne in 1782.
Behind the Thai mask
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 15/08/2014
» Three men wearing white shirts and red jongkraben (traditional Thai trousers) are practising their khon dance performance in a classroom. From afar they look like your typical Thai masked dance experts, as their posture and movements are smooth and delicate. On closer inspection, however, you may notice something, or someone, out of place, at least according to popular perception. One of the dancers is 30-year-old Canadian Benjamin Tardif.
A man of arts and sciences
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 07/08/2014
» Stepping into the Itsarawinitchai Throne Hall in the compound of the National Museum Bangkok, visitors may be stunned when they see the big changes there. Now, the hall is full of glittering thrones, royal chairs, palace decoration items, paintings, musical instruments and centuries-old books. This is the Fine Arts Department's special exhibition, "When East Meets West: A King's Treasure At The Front Palace", which will run until Aug 31.
Up from the deep
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 03/06/2014
» Now buried several metres deep under the muddy ground in a former shrimp farm in Samut Sakhon province, a millennium-old ship once sailed many oceans of the world. The vessel, 25m long, had travelled from faraway lands to transport a variety of goods to cities on this part of the Earth before it sank here during the Dvaravati period (6th-11th centuries).
Creating a renaissance
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 21/04/2014
» Throughout an hour spent in the Traditional Thai Art room of the National Gallery, we saw only a few Western tourists walking in and around the stunning red Western-style room to admire several of Thailand’s masterpieces. Within 10 or 15 minutes, those visitors left, then it was very quiet at the “Louvre of Thailand”, the Kingdom’s only state-run museum of art with the largest collection of traditional and contemporary artworks.
The confidant of kings
Life, Pichaya Svasti, Published on 07/04/2014
» He was the sole tutor of two Thai monarchs — King Ananda Mahidol, Rama VIII, and HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. In Switzerland in 1936, Cleon Seraidaris, a lawyer, started guiding the young King Rama VIII and Prince Bhumibol towards their educational goals. Up until his death in 1997, his close ties and devotion to HM the King and the royal family of Thailand remained strong.