Imaginations and Reflections of Social Activities : Journey and Transportation Scenes in Traditional Thai Mural Paintings of Rama III’s Reign

Abstract

The aim of this research article is to examine various scenes of journeys and transportations depicted in classical Thai mural paintings of Rama III’s reign (A.D. 1824-1851), in which great changes in terms of concept and technique were introduced to classical mural paintings. Mural paintings from different royal monasteries of the third reign, mostly in Bangkok, are surveyed in order to pick the journey and transportation scenes. Journeys and transportations in various ways can be observed in these mural paintings. The results of the research lead to the division of journeys and transportations in the studied mural paintings into two types. The first type sees the scenes of real journeys and transportations, no matter the travelers are the Buddha and his disciples, kings and their entourages, merchants and city dwellers or even soldiers and slaves; what kind of vehicles these travellers used or what the purposes of making the journeys shall be. All the journey scenes in the mural paintings do reflect the journeys and transportations which accurately appear in social life of the Thais during the Early Bangkok Period. The second type of the journey scenes are surreal journeys, mostly by mean of flying. Flying is mentioned in Buddhist texts as the way of making journey for those who had fully accumulated their perfections or those who had gained enlightenment. The Buddha and his Aranhanta disciples, the Chakravatti universe kings and angels are exemplified as the ones who have magic power to make their flying journeys.