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HANDICRAFTS OF CHIANG MAI The folk skills used to produce the necessities of daily life have combined with the high arts of decoration used in temples and court regalia to from the basis of Chiang Mai’s famous handicrafts industry. This applies whether it is an elegant celadon vase, a length of home spun hemp cloth, or a carved wooden elephant. Local artefacts make decorative souvenirs of the folk art of the region.
Places to go Looking and Shopping In the daytime, silver and woodcarving shops are open on Wualai Road, and several shops selling arts and handicrafts may be found at the northern end of Nimmanhemin Road near the Amari Rincome Hotel. The Sankampaeng Road is known as the “handicraft highway”, but the emporiums which handle bus tours have gone far from the cottage industry origins of each craft. With each of the main handicrafts, a few suggestions are given for where to go looking. These suggestions are not endorsements to buy as there are many places selling all manners of handicrafts. Shops that will have some form of demonstration that shows people making the products are marked with a D.
Basketry In rural societies both men and women may still be seen splitting bamboo into thin pliable strips that can be woven into intricate patterns. In the north the most common woven objects are steamers and containers for sticky rice, mats and traps for catching fish in the paddy. However, the skill demonstrated in older pieces is hard to match these days, and youngsters are seldom interested in the traditional skills. Where to see basketry. Thawan Somthan Antiques As a result visitors can return home with magnificent works of art for a fraction of the price of a genuine antique. Real antiques, such as are available, are likely to be of Burmese or Lao origin. Boorisuthi Antiques Sanphranon Antiques Ceramics Traditionally the glaze is designed to “run” (flow down the pot as the glaze becomes glassy) as well as “craze” and take on a crackled appearance. Though a light green colour is considered ideal, old celadons could also be yellow and brown and the glaze matt and opaque if underfired. The main kilns in Lan Na were at Kalong (near Wiang Papao), Phan (between Chiang Rai & Phayao) and Sankampaeng. Just when and how the considerable skills required to make this pottery came to Lan Na is uncertain. It is generally accepted that production near Chiang Mai at Samkampaeng began early in the 14th century and like other kilns was helped by Chinese potters who had moved south away from the Mongols. However there is also the possibility that the necessary skills came from a hitherto undiscovered kiln site and could be Thai in origin. These kilns may have produced fine wares, perhaps with help from earlier migrations of Chinese potters, long before the establishments of the Sankampaeng kilns at the beginning of the 14th century. The local industry thrived until the fall of Lan Na to the Burmese. By the mid-17th century war and the competition from cheaper blue and white wares from China had put out the fires in La Na kilns. Production began again at the beginning of the 20th century, bringing Lan Na pottery to a new age. Where to see ceramics. Ban Phor Liang Muen’s Terracotta Arts - D Mengrai Kilns Siam Celadon - D An extensive factory and a “traditional kiln” on display at the back. The Sankampaeng Kiln
Hand-woven Fabrics Women demonstrated their weaving skills on the tube skirt, known as pha sin. In the north the main parts of everyday pha sin are patterned with horizontal stripes and have separate waistbands and hem pieces sown on. Ritual pha sin have much more detailed decoration and vary according to group. Geography and ethnic origin determined the style because the women weavers stayed close to their place of birth. Young women produced the most complex pieces to show their skills to potential husbands. In the Chiang Mai valley , the favoured colours are red, green and yellow, with red and black being used in the waistband and hem pieces. The decoration is out in the hem piece in a style of weaving known as tin chok, which creates strong diamond shaped patterns. Where to see hand - woven fabrics
Fai Sor Kam
Hill Tribe Artefacts The unique designs have made their silver jewellery amongst the most desirable of hill tribe artefacts. Traditionally, the hill tribes have valued silver as a trusted measure of wealth and the amount worn at ceremonies would show the status of the family. Wearing large amounts of silver jewellery is still the custom at important rituals and festivals. Silver ornamentation could also have a spiritual value to protect against evil spirits. The largest pieces of jewellery are the neck rings, silver buckles and heavy bracelets while the most decorative are the chains with silver pendants. The silver originally came from coins which were either melted down or used directly as decoration in women’s clothing. Each group had their own designs which came from individual silversmiths who would only make a few similar pieces. Most of the old pieces have been sold long ago and the formerly important village silversmiths have all but vanished. Modern hill tribe jewellery, much of which is produced by lowland silversmiths is based on a mix of traditional designs. Where to see hill tribe products Hill Tribe Products Promotion Centre Thai Tribal Crafts Lacquerware Its most common use was to illumine wood panels on doors and windows and especially cabinets that were used to keep palm leaf manuscripts. The lacquer came from a tree (Melanorrhea usitata Anacardiaceae) found in Northern Thailand and Burma. The main design was in black and gold, a style known as lai rot nam. The designs themselves were two-dimensional (no perspective was used) and was a fine balance of gold and black. This was achieved with numerous flower designs round the main motifs. The technique used to do this has been applied to modern production. A pattern in a yellow water soluble gum is painted on the piece and covered with a thin layer of lacquer. Gold foil is put onto to the sticky lacquer. When the piece is washed, the yellow paint and foil above it dissolve to reveal the black of the pattern underneath. Lacquer was also used to seal baskets and Chiang Mai used to be the centre of a style of khoen ware that was red and black. This was used on household objects but the style went out of fashion and is no longer widely produced. Modern designs using coloured lacquer on lines etched into a black base are Burmese in style.
Where to see lacquerware Jai Fah Traditional style shop sells lacquerware as well as wooden furniture. Laithong - D Emporium on the Sankampaeng road, with a reputation for its lacquerware. Mungkala High-quality pieces made locally and in Burma. Prathuang Khruang Khoen - D The small workshop at the back of this shop offers one of the last opportunities to see a more traditional style of lacquerware manufacture. This area was once the centre for this industry in Chiang Mai. Vichaikul Lacquerware 2 - D Small emporium offers a conveniently located demonstration of lacquerware. Silverware Bowls used for ceremonial purposed are produced by hammering intricate patterns into silver sheeting placed over a wide tub of pitch. Local demand for silver belts as well as exports for the tourist market has given new life to the industry. Wealthy businesses have revived the production of large silver bowls weighing several kilos as prestige items. Where to see silverware Lanna Thai - D Sherry Silver Jewellery Sipsong Panna Antique silver jewellery Wualaisilpha - D Woodcarving Nowadays, craftsmen specialize in just one type of carving used in the decoration of a viharn. The modern woodcarving industry itself is a development of only the last few decades. Traditionally only a few artefacts were commissioned and the wooden elephant was the most commonly carved object. The popularity of temple carvings imported from Burma as souvenirs encouraged dealers to get local craftsmen to reproduce them. The reproduction processes, which include aging methods such as burning and soaking in urine, have become so good that even experts have difficulty deciding whether an object is genuinely old. The scarcity of teak has forced modern carvers to use other woods like that of the rain tree. These woods carve well and are inexpensive. Staining to hide the light colours of the woods has become more common. The carving itself is usually done in the rough in outlying villages near Mae Tha, before the pieces are sent for detailed work in the woodcarving centre of Ban Tawai. Where to see woodcarving Chiang Mai Tusnaporn Woodcarving and inlay on furniture Ratana House Pech Viriya - D From his home in Sankampaeng, Pech Viriya leads an organization of local carvers that specializes in wooden elephants. Even the small elephants are not cheap, but major Thai companies pay hundreds of thousands of baht for life-sized beasts. With over 100 designs, Pech leads one of the most accomplished woodcarving teams in the country. Umbrellas & Saa Paper Saa paper production has been through a similar transformation driven by increasing local and tourist demand for decorative paper. The paper is produced by drying the woody stems of the saa plant (a kind of mulberry). Then they are soaked and pulverized into a mush in a mill. Colour is added and the mix is placed in tubs where it is suspended in water. By drawing a fine mesh grill through the tub, sediment accumulates on the grill in thin sheets. In drying the sediment coagulates to form the sheets of paper. These are then sold, or fashioned into souvenirs such as cards and notebooks. Where to see umbrella and saa paper making
Umbrella Making Centre - D
Preservation House - D Sa paper production & shop with lots of paper products. Tailoring & Shoemaking in Chiang Mai
Tailoring If you advise us in advance, we can pre-arrange a fitting for the day of your arrival in the north and have an English speaking translator accompany you to the tailor. Note: Translators are charged at US$10 per hour or part thereof (leaving your hotel to returning to your hotel). Shoe & bootmaking |
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