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Located on Chao Fa Road between Phuket Town and Chalong, is a red
brick building that draws you in with its quiet sense of creativity.
It's the Hae - Ra Elephant Wood Carving Studio. The director of
the workshop, Jakaphan Chaiyajit is a young man whose father was
Jaroon Chaiyajit, the Master Carver for the palace of His Majesty
King Bhumibol's mother. He sits working quietly on the floor with
an apprentice carver. Their carving tools are arrayed neatly before
them and the fragrance of fresh wood shavings compete with the fumes
from the busy road just outside the shop. They are carving elephants,
small ones, about 15 - 20 cm in size, from teak. It is all that
is carved at the shop.
Within the shop itself are antique carvings of elephants and delicate
and intricate line drawings of elephants framed in rough wood. These
are not for sale, only the elephants that Jakaphan and his apprentice
carefully carve from Thailand's most precious wood. The venue for
sales of the carvings are hotel lobbies around the island. The carvers
dress in traditional costume and take their craft with them.
The wood carving shop is a cooperative so all proceeds from sales
are pooled and then divided equally among three other carvers. A
young woman also carves elephants, only she uses the medium of soap
and they are sold under the name of Benjarong.
The carvers take their work seriously since elephants are held
in such high esteem in Thailand. In the past they were, of course,
a symbol of power because of their enormous size and strength. But
the importance of the elephant in local life goes back further than
the armies of past kings, back past the introduction of Buddhism
to Thailand and has its roots in ancient Hinduism. It was believed
that a soul journeyed through many life times, evolving upward through
the animal kingdom and that the elephant is the final step in the
soul's journey before becoming human. Thus they are regarded as
close relatives of humans and are given due respect for their status.
Hae Ra Woodcarving Studio also supplies local hotels and resorts
with beautifully carved wooden ornaments for decoration used from
lobbies to restaurants but it is the mission of the Studio to produce
enough elephants to impress the international visitor that in Thailand,
the elephant is adored.
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