The Exquisite Flower Pattern: The Artistic and Cultural Legacy of the Ten Thai Arts and Crafts of the Rattanakosin Era

Abstract

This article, based on the documentary research, aims to analyze the creation of the exquisite flower pattern of the Ten Thai Arts and Crafts during the Rattanakosin period. The study has found that this Thai artistic floral pattern has been used in arts and crafts long time before the Rattanakosin Era. Moreover, the stonework in the form of lotus flower had been widely used in the Land of Gold, or the Suwannabhumi, as a symbol to worship before the image of the Buddha had been created. Also the design of the lotus pattern, as well as the Hibiscus one, had been passed by the Ten Thai Arts and Crafts group from the Sukhothai period to the Rattanakosin. The design of this exquisite floral shape pattern has been developed especially during the reign of King Rama III and King Rama IX (the present one). All the flower patterns such as the lotus, the Hibiscus (cotton rose), the genus Dalbergia (bullet wood), the Montarop (flower of paradise), either the elaborated flowers or the natural ones are found in the creative works of the Thai artists and craftsmen as a part of their valuable offering to Buddhism (Amisa Puja).

There are three ideas that influence the works of these beautiful flower patterns: 1) the study of flowers in nature such as the lotus and the cotton rose 2) the faith in Buddhism, for example, the Buddhist canons, the purity of Lord Buddha, the symbol of lotus and mankind, the legend of Buddha, Buddhist offerings, Dharma, and the image of Buddhist paradise (Swarga) 3) the continuance of the Ten Thai Arts and Craftwork such as the works with lotus design, etc.

With the willing to integrate the knowledge about the arts of this exquisite flower pattern of the Ten Thai Arts and Crafts through textbooks, architecture and restoration of the Buddhist places and objects as the original one from the reign of King Rama I until now (2015), these beautified arts then become the artistic and cultural legacy of the Rattanakosin era.