วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 4 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2553

The Chakri


The Chakri sovereigns realized that in order to establish the Ramakien as a true national epic, art forms that were more accessible than literature would have to reflect the tale. The second Chakri monarch, Rama II (reigned 1809-1824) who directed the composition of another version of the Ramakien in verse form, was a noted patron of the arts and took particular delight in dance and drama performances. It was under his auspices the uniquely Thai masked dance pantomime known as khon was developed. Khon performances take their content exclusively from the Ramakien, and rather than attempt to synopsize
lengthy work, deal with specific episodes, with alluring titles such us `The Floating Lady' or 'The Golden Deer'. Khon performances were considered sacred rites and until the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in 1934, were held only within the royal court. The general populace, however, was not excluded from the Ramakien. Under the patronage of King Rama II, a shadow theatre, which first appeared in Thailand during the Ayuthaya era, was revived and adapted specifi­cally to Ramakien performances. Known in Thai as nang yai, (literally, large hides) elaborately cut figures made from buffalo hides about one meter in height were held behind a translucent screen and manipu­lated to the sounds of a traditional Thai piphad orchestra, consisting of oboe-like woodwinds, xylophones, gongs, and other percussion instru­ments. Narrators relate the story and deliver the lines of the characters represented by the shadow figures. Hundreds of these intricately cut hides portray the dozens of Ramakien characters individually, paired and in groups, with differing background scenery according to the episode being performed. After this art form nearly disappeared during 4-he late 1900's, it was revived under the patronage of a Thai princess, tier Royal Highness Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, at Wat Khanon, a temple in Ratchburi province, west of Bangkok. Beginning in 1994, over 300 elaborately crafted nang yai puppets have been constructed, and regular performances are given at the temple in the small town of Photharam. The puppeteers and musicians are all local high school students. Their skill and commitment attracts a regular pilgrimage of puppetry aficionados to this otherwise remote area.
Yet another performing arts genre that flourished during the reign of Rama II was hun luang, or court puppets. As the name implies, these performances, like the khon, were given only within the royal court. Hun luang are full body marionettes, standing about one meter tall.
The marble bas-reliefs of Wat Pho, which depict only the middle episodes of the story chronologically, are both famous and easy to miss, given their small size and obscure loca­tion. Close examination reveals superlative stone carving skills on these panels, which were originally crafted in Ayuthaya.Like the khon performers, on whose costumes they are modeled, they are clothed in elaborately embroidered and bejeweled costumes. The puppets are manipulated by up to 12 strings that run to the base of the puppet and are pulled from the puppet's base by the puppet master, unlike Western puppets that are manipulated from above. The performances of hun luang belong to history, but the puppets them­selves have been lovingly restored to their former splendor by a group of Thai artists, and fine examples of this work are on view in the National Museum in Bangkok.
While the nang yai performances are rare, another form of shadow puppetry has flourished. Known as nang talung, they are cut out like the nang yai puppets but much smaller, ranging in height from fifteen to fifty centimeters. They are cut from calf hide and painted in bright colors. This folk art originated in the Southern Thai province of Phattalung, but itinerant troupes travel the country performing at temple fairs and other public gatherings.
Above the bas-reliefs, the doors on the Ubosot at Wat Pho soar three meters in height and are inlaid in extremely delicate mother of pearl work depicting selected scenes from the Ramakien. This is the only major use of mother of pearl inlay to illustrate the Ramakien. in Thailand.The third Chakri monarch, now known as Rama III (reigned. 1824-1851), did not share his predecessor's taste for the performing arts such as khon and hun luang. A reserved and pious ruler, he chose to continue the Ramakien epic's legacy in the visual arts, and it was during his reign that some of the most important works of Thai paint­ing and sculpture were created. Located in Koh Rattanakosin, the heart of Bangkok, and the area chosen by the Chakri kings as their adminis­trative and regal center lays the temple of Wat Phra Chetuphon, commonly known as Wat Pho. This is the oldest and largest temple in Bangkok, and it its central chapel (Phra Ubosot) contains the remains of the Chakri Dynasty's founder, Rama I. Lining the base of this simple chapel are 152 carved while marble panels, measuring only 45 cm. square. Likely salvaged from the ruins of Ayuthaya and transported here, they depict a variety of scenes from the middle part of the Ramakien tale. Amid the powerful splendor of the other attractions of Wat Pho, such as the immense reclining Buddha, these delicate carv­ings are easy to overlook, but a careful examination reveals their fine craftsmanship. The doors of this requillary chapel also display art related to the Ramakien in another motif—mother of pearl inlay
Soaring 3-meter doors, with two wings, located on the front and rear of the chapel have been decorated with scenes from the Ramakien and surrounded by ornamental borders. Rich in detail, the artists seem to have taken delight in the fantastic elements of the Ramakien tale, and the panels abound with a menagerie of imaginary animals, such as the kinaree, the half man half bird creature of Thai mythology.
Wat Phra Keow, or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, within the confines of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, houses yet another visual art depiction of the Ramakien epic. In 1831, again during the reign of Rama III, master painters worked their art on the walls of a shaded cloister surrounding the temple compound in a series of 178 murals.
A gilded lacquered panel showing Phra Rain and Phra Lak aboard their chariot in full charge led by the monkey general Hanuman and his troops.The craftsmen labored for several years to complete the murals that tell the Ramakien tale from start to finish. As with the mother of pearl inlay doors at Wat Pho, the artists give license to their imagination and the murals abound with scenes of everyday Thai life, binding the celes­tial characters of the Ramakien with the Thai people of the era. Cooking, commerce, and entertainment (including puppet theatres) are all depicted. Sadly, the frescoes' condition has deteriorated over time and restorations included revisions, which deviated from the purely Thai style of mural painting. Western concepts of volume, shading and perspective were introduced, rendering the overall impression less authentically Thai. Nonetheless, the murals remain a vital portrayal of the Ramakien, and a tribute to the artistic taste of the Chakri monarchs. Taking refuge from the crowds that surge around the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, an examination of these murals while leisurely strolling through the shaded gallery housing them is one of the most satisfying ways to experience the Ramakien story.