Symbolic and Cultural Meanings of the Chinese Home Decoration Theme in the Early Rattanakosin Murals of the Reign of King Nangklao in Wat Ratcha Orasaram
Keywords:
Mural Paintings, Wat Ratcha Orasaram, King Nangklao, Chinese influenceAbstract
This study examines Buddhist artwork to evaluate past human behaviour in terms of cultural adaptation in the second quarter of the 19th century. By integrating interdisciplinary theoretical frameworks and methods from art history, the environmental archaeology of human ecosystems, and the phenomenology of landscape, the CHDT mural at Wat Ratcha Orasaram is found to represent short-term cultural change (the advent of the royal preference) in Siamese society in the process of diversifying cultural selection.
Significantly, enhancing the discussion of such cultural change with phenomenological perspectives, this research discloses the power of images, the hierarchy of art, the function of murals, and human cultural-environmental interactions, defined here as phenomena of cultural change, which disclose more dynamic cultural adaptation and can be evaluated via interdisciplinary investigation drawing on philosophical theory, environmental archaeology, and art history to reveal the response of humans to cultural changes. This cultural change was the result of dynamic Siamese cultural adaptation as an active response to Chinese influence on ideas and style identified with the monarchic power of a pious king, Nangklao, and his Sinophilia. Various Chinese cultural elements, including murals of the Chinese decoration theme and Chinesestyle architecture, were adapted for royal Buddhist temples under the patronage of the king and aristocrats during the Third Reign.
References
- Achirat Chaiyapotpanit. (2013). King Rama III-Period Murals and their Chinese Home Decoration Theme. Journal of the Siam Society, 101, 35-48.
- Baker, Chris and Phongpaichit, Pasuk. (2009). A history of Thailand. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Baker, Chris and Phongpaichit, Pasuk. (2017). A history of Ayutthaya: Siam in the early modern world. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Beurdeley, Michel. (1979). Chinese furniture. Tokyo; New York: Kodansha International.
- Bunjopporn Prapattong. (2004). Kan sueksa priabtiab phap chittakam faphanang phap khruengto bucha khong wat nai khet Krungthep Mahanakhon (In Thai) [A Comparative Study of Chinese Ritual Altar Mural Paintings in Temples Around Bangkok]. Master of Art in Art Education, Srinakharinwirot University.
- Burney, Henry. (1911). The Burney Papers. Vol. II. Bangkok: The Vajirayana National Library.
- Butzer, Karl. (1982). Archaeology as Human Ecology: Method and Theory for a Contextual Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Chambers, William. (1968). Designs of Chinese buildings, furniture, dresses, machines, and utensils. New York: Benjamin Blom.
- Damrong Rajanubhab, Prince. (1917). Tamnan rueang khruengto lae thuai pan. (In Thai) [History of table decorative objects and porcelains]. Bangkok: Thai Beamseng.
- Damrong Rajanubhab, Prince. (1962). Phraratchaphongsawadan krung Rattanakosin ratchakan thi song. (In Thai) [Royal chronicles of the Bangkok in the reign of King Rama II. Vol.2]. Bangkok: Khurusapha.
- Freedberg, David. (1989). The power of images: Studies in the history and theory of response. Chicago; London: University of Chicago Press.
- Heidegger, Martin. (1993). Building dwelling thinking. D. Krell. (Ed). Basic Writings: From Being and time (1927) to the task of thinking (1964). San Francisco: Harper San Francisco.
- Jessica Lee, Patterson. (2016). Chinese Glass Paintings in Bangkok Monasteries, Project MUSE, 66(2), 153-185.
- Jiaqing, Tian. (1996). Classic Chinese furniture of the Qing Dynasty. London: Philip Wilson.
- Jiaqing, Tian. (2004). Early Qing Furniture in a Set of Qing Dynasty Court Paintings Chinese furniture: Selected articles from Orientations 1984-2003. Hong Kong: Orientations Magazine.
- Khanakammakan Chamra Prawattisat Thai, Samnak Lekhathikan Nayokratthamontri [The Committee for the Revision of Thai History, Secretariat of the Prime Minister]. (1982). Prawatsat Krung Rattanakosin ratchakan thi Nueng thueng Sam. (In Thai). [A history of Rattanakosin from the First Reign to the Third Reign Vol.1]. Bangkok: Khanakammakan Chat Ngan Somphot Krung Rattanakosin 200 Pi.
- Khaisang Sukhavadhana. (1982). Wat Putthasatsana ti dai rap itthipon silpa chin nai samai ton krung Rattanakosin. (In Thai). [The Chinese-influenced Thai Buddhist monasteries of the early Rattanakosin period]. Bangkok: James Thompson Foundation.
- Kirch, Patrick. (1980). The Archaeological Study of Adaptation: Theoretical and Methodological Issues, Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory. 3, 101-156.
- Lo, Andrew et al. (2011). Da Ying tu shu guan te cang Zhongguo Qing dai wai xiao hua jing hua. (In English). [Chinese Export Paintings of the Qing Period in The British Library]. Guangzhou: Guangdong ren min chu ban she.
- Manop Boonyavatana. (1988). The Grand Palace. Bangkok: The office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary.
- Merleau-Ponty, Maurice. (1962). Phenomenology of Perception. London: Routledge.
- O'Connor, T. P., & Evans, J. G. (2005). Environmental archaeology: Principles and methods (2nd, revised and updated ed.). Stroud: Sutton.
- Prayoon Uluchata. (1982). Nangsue Chut Krung Thep Song Sattawat: Chittrakam Samai Rattanakosin. (In Thai). [Collected books of 200th anniversary of Bangkok: the murals in Rattanakosin]. Bangkok: Muang Boran.
- Sakchai Saising. (2008). Ngan chang samai Phra Nangklao. (In Thai). [The creation in the reign of King Nangklao]. Bangkok: Matichon.
- Samerchai Poolsuwan. (1996). Sanyalak nai ngan chittakam Thai rawang phuttha sattawat thi 19-24. (In Thai). [Symbols in Thai murals between the 14th-19th century]. Bangkok: Thammasat University Press.
- Santi Leksukhum. (2001). Temples of gold: Seven centuries of Thai Buddhist paintings. London: Thames and Hudson.
- Santi Leksukhum. (2005). Chittakam Thai samai Ratchakan thi 3: Khwamkhit plian kan sadaeng ok ko plian tam. (In Thai). [Murals in the Third Reign: the expression changed by perspectives]. Bangkok: Muang Boran.
- Naengnoi Suksri et al. (1988). Sathapattayakam Phra Borom Maharatchawang. (In Thai). [The architecture of the grand palace]. Bangkok: The office of His Majesty’s Principal Private Secretary.
- Naengnoi Suksri and Michael Freeman. (1996). Palaces of Bangkok: Royal residences of the Chakri dynasty. London: Thames and Hudson.
- Nidhi Eoseewong et al. (2005). Pen and sail: Literature and history in early Bangkok including the history of Bangkok in the chronicles of Ayutthaya. Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books.
- Thiphakornrawong, Chaophraya. (1963). Phraratcha phongsawadan krung Rattanakosin ratchakan thi Sam. (In Thai). [Royal chronicles of the Bangkok in the reign of King Rama III]. Bangkok: Klangwittaya.
- Tiffany, Osmond. (1849). The Canton Chinese: or, The American's sojourn in the Celestial empire. Boston: J. Munroe and company.
- Tilley, Christopher. (1994). A phenomenology of landscape: Places, paths, and monuments. Oxford: Berg.
- Usawadee Rasmeewong. (1984). Phap chittakam khrueng bucha yang chin nai silpa Rattanakosin. (In Thai). [The theme of the Chinese altar style in Rattanakosin murals]. Bachelor of Art in Art History, Silpakorn University.
- Vella, Walter. (1957). Siam under Rama III. N.Y.: Association for Asian Studies.
- Wang, Shixiang. (1990). Connoisseurship of Chinese furniture: Ming and early Qing dynasties. Vol.1. Chicago: Art Media Resources.
- Wilairat Yongrot. (1996). Phap khrueng tang chittakam phutthabucha nai samai ratchakan thi sam. (In English and Thai). [Chinese auspicious in Thai murals]. Muang Boran, 22(3), 81-88.
- Williams, Chamber. (1976). Outlines of Chinese symbolism and art motives: An alphabetical compendium of antique legends and beliefs, as reflected in the manners and customs of the Chinese. New York: Dover.
