Over the years, the popularity of this ancient art has gone through ups and downs but it is still taught from the age of 11 in most Thai schools.
The techniques of vegetable carving differ, as do the base produce and tools that are used, but the most popular patterns for smaller vegetables like carrots and radishes are roses and carnations. With larger fruits like watermelons, the artist has the opportunity to create more intricate designs and details. I have seen human faces and teddy bears etched into the skins of watermelons. After 700 years, however, the most popular patterns on carved vegetables, fruits and soaps continue to be flowers.
There are numerous academies and courses where visitors can learn how to carve fruit and vegetables and also national and international competitions in which the world’s finest carvers compete for prizes and the honor of being crowned the best.
UNIQUE AND GREEN
Thai celadon pottery, a type of high-fired stoneware, is lauded as among the finest of its type in the world. Celadon refers to the pale blue-green color, which is not painted or lacquered on but is produced by a wood and ash glaze during the firing process, which also produces fine crackling. Patterns are incised or carved into the pottery items before glazing and mostly comprise simple linear and floral motifs.
Celadon is one of Chiang Mai’s most popular crafts. Here, artisans produce fine replicas of old designs, both Thai and Chinese, for home decoration and everyday use as well as smaller items like jewelry.
THAI METALWORK
Thailand is one of the few remaining countries still producing nielloware, an ancient art in which an amalgam of metals is applied to carved portions of a silver object to create silver or gold patterns against black backgrounds or vice versa. Since ancient times, nielloware, decorated and produced with meticulous attention to detail, signified status and was usually presented to the king or others in high positions, including foreign dignitaries. In the early 20th century, the King and Queen of Thailand initiated efforts to stimulate the modern-day production of nielloware.
Chiang Mai’s Craft Villages
Partly because of traditional skills passed down from generation to generation and partly because of its relative isolation from the changing fashions of metropolitan Bangkok, Chiang Mai has preserved its strong crafts tradition.
Baan Tawai, about 9 miles (14.5 km) from Chiang Mai, is a great place to pick up handmade wooden items ranging from sculptures and knick-knacks to expertly designed pieces of furniture. There are many stores and factories in the village where you can purchase carved wooden goods at great prices and see the craftsmen at work.
The residents of San Kamphaeng, around 8 miles (13 km) from Chiang Mai, are known for their long history of excellence in making teak furniture, celadon and lacquerware. Also located in the San Kampaeng district is the traditional Lanna-style village of Bo Sang, where the finest handmade umbrellas and parasols are crafted. Bo Sang’s unique mulberry paper umbrellas are admired the world over for their vibrant colors and handmade motifs. Every January a festival is held to celebrate the exceptional craftsmanship of these two towns.
A traditional Thai shawl and skirt made from the finest Thai silk.
Thai silk fabric is generally one, two or three ply, which refers to the number of threads used for the weft when weaving the silk fabric. More ply means more strength and thickness but at the expense of sleek smoothness. Heavier silk shawls, designed for colder temperatures, typically contain more ply.
The colors and patterns of Thai silk vary from simple two-tone designs to intricate tie-dye patterns created by tying and dyeing the warp and weft threads in different color combinations. Popular patterns and designs include flowers, elephants and religious motifs.
REVIVAL OF THE THAI SILK INDUSTRY
Thai silk products are known the world over for their extremely high quality. Beautiful, vibrant and exotic in design, color and texture, authentic Thai silk products can last a lifetime. A name that has become synonymous with Thai silk is that of American-born Jim Thompson, who revived the industry after World War II.
Thompson was perhaps the most famous foreigner living in Thailand after the war (1945–67) and his influence on the Thai silk industry was considerable. He is widely credited with revitalizing the Thai silk industry in the face of competition from foreign textiles, especially Chinese and Japanese silk imports, after the war and with bringing the beautiful and luxury product to the international stage. He introduced superior looms and modern colors and oversaw better and more efficient production practices in the industry. His pioneer company remains one of the biggest and best silk producers in Thailand, and visitors to the kingdom are likely to see one of his many stores in the best shopping districts.
The booming industry of today depends to a large extent on silk from the northeast of Thailand, on the Khorat Plateau, a rural area known as Isan, that has been home to generations of female Thai silk weavers since Chinese merchants introduced the process thousands of years ago. One of the factors contributing to the superiority of Thai silk is the handcrafted manufacturing process. Each level of production is carried out by skilled weavers, many of whom have their own machinery, looms and silk weaving implements in their homes. The Khorat Plateau also exports the vast majority of the fabrics used to create luxurious pieces, both within and outside Thailand.
QUALITY THAI SILK
Recognizing the harm that cheap imitations could have on the reputation of genuine Thai silk products, the Thai Agriculture Ministry introduced a unique ranking system to differentiate and authenticate different types of Thai silk products. This comprises four variations of peacock emblems, with a gold peacock being the highest rank, indicating ‘premium Thai silk’. This verifies that the product has been made using traditional methods by hand and with native Thai silkworms.
There are many ways to ensure the product you are buying is indeed good quality, genuine handmade Thai silk. As Thai silk is woven by hand and is of a naturally soft but coarse texture, you should be able to feel, if not see, minor imperfections. With Thai silk, if it looks and feels too good to be true, it probably is. If ‘handmade Thai silk’ feels too smooth, it is likely to be machine woven using non-Thai silkworms.
Jim Thompson relaxing at his home in Bangkok.
Authentic Thai silk products contain the printed pattern on only one
