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By Benjamin Malcolm
At first glance, there might be little apparently unique to Highway
1006, one of the nation's smaller byways heading east out of the
city of Chiang Mai. But don't be fooled - for as you travel this
route out of the city, you are drawn inexorably into a world of
historical Thai craftsmanship.
Chiang Mai is quite literally the epicenter of the northern crafts
scene, with an abundant artisan community. Much of this community's
activity occurs east of the city, along the aforementioned Highway
1006 (also known as the Chiang Mai-Sankamphaeng Road). As you travel
along this road, you can pass by a multitude of silk weavers, cotton
weavers, umbrella makers, silverware makers, paper-makers, all organized
into artisan cottages and larger craft factories.
On a recent bright and sunny day, I hopped on a rental motorcycle
in Chiang Mai, and headed out to explore Route 1006, wanting to
obtain a first-hand glimpse into the talents of the various artists.
My first stop, only 10 or 11 kilometers away from the city centre,
was the Umbrella Making Centre, located in Bosang village.
The 200-year-old craft of umbrella making was once used as an offering
to monasteries, but has now expanded into the retail world. The
Centre is open for all to see. Behind the massive showroom is a
production line of umbrella makers, who work during the day on cool
shaded cement in a semi-circle around a grassy drying area. One
can see the stages of production (every stage has an accompanying
sign explaining the activity) including the original paper-making
and drying, the wooden umbrella frame construction, the application
of the paper to the wood, painting and final drying.
Another open-air room in back of this production line contains
the fan-making factory, where labourers diligently paint elaborate
oversized hand fans.
Every stage of the umbrella making is done by hand, of course and
the painting process is painstaking and lengthy. Each painter has
their own specialty, such as the application of dragons, flowers,
human figures and scenic views. Painters, while busy with their
tasks at hand, are all too willing to embroider a visitor's clothing
or bags with special designs for the small fee of 50 Baht.
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The finished umbrella comes in all sizes, from child-like miniature
umbrellas to great two to three-meter behemoths for outdoor restaurants,
beaches, or the like. The Umbrella Making Centre has honed its service
over the years - customers can hand-pick their own designs and colours
and have umbrellas specially-made. Signs in the showroom give details
of shipping costs to every corner of the globe.
After a good hour of exploration and a quick lunch of "Khao
Moke Gai" at a Muslim restaurant, I got back on the motorcycle
and headed on a quick jaunt through a "Sa Paper" village,
where stacks of Sa paper notebooks, cards, photo albums and other
paper products lined every store front. Sa paper is the material
most often used in aforementioned umbrellas, although silk and cotton
are also used.
Sa paper is made from the bark of mulberry trees. Initially the
bark is soaked in clean water for about 24 hours. Then it is boiled
with several kinds of ashes for 3-4 hours and cleaned with water.
The material is beaten with mallets until tender and stirred in
water with a paddle until the fibers are suspended in the water.
The fibers are dried and the resulting paper can be lifted off the
screen with ease.
My motorcycle and I made it only a little way before my next exploration,
Baan Celadon, one of several Celadon pottery showrooms along the
highway. Greeting me inside the cool confines of the showroom were
row upon row of pots, coffee mugs, huge vases, and other elaborately
decorated containers.
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Pottery can be seen throughout the north, most noticeably outside
residences and temples, where dark-brown water pots offer cooling
refreshment for any passerby. The north is particularly known for
its low-fired pots and water jugs, lightly glazed with terra cotta
and oil to make them capable of holding liquids.
The art of Celadon pottery began at the end of the 13th Century,
when King Ramkamhaeng the Great of Sukhothai imported 300 Chinese
potters to his kingdom. The Celadon industry declined with the end
of the Sukhothai period, but has been revived in recent years in
Chiang Mai. The process is still the same as in ancient times -
artisans use a clear glaze of feldspar, limestone, ash and a bit
of red clay.
After getting back on my motorcycle, I was almost going to call
it a day and head home, but decided to stop at the Shinawatra Thai
Silk building, an elegant showroom and museum dedicated to the production
of Thai silk.
This building offers a classy respite for travellers and I was
glad I stopped as I was warmly welcomed by one of the hostesses
with a cool drink of lemongrass juice. All visitors are welcomed
with a glass of herbal refreshment and a quick tour of the back
of the store, where there is a vibrant display of Thai silk history,
"the Queen of Textile fibers."
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In the museum area, one woman, dressed all in Thai silk, carefully
worked an antique wheel in the hallway, opposite a glass case filled
with silk worms, busy producing the initial strands destined for
the loom. Next door, compatriots dressed in more normal work clothes,
bang away at gigantic looms, laughing and chattering away, creating
a festive air in which to watch their weaving.
Not surprisingly, Thai silk production can trace its roots deep
into the country's history. Excavations in the northeast province
of Udon Thani have discovered evidence of sericulture, unwoven and
undyed silk thread, dating back over 4000 years. Silk clothing was
much in evidence in the Lanna Kingdom of the north, but overall
Thai silk production remained a cottage industry until King Chulalongkorn
encouraged widespread production by establishing the Department
of Silk Craftsmen. The Shinawatra family established their business
in 1929 and their name, especially in Chiang Mai, rivals Jim Thompson
for their consistently luxurious output.
As I walked through the building and gazed at the mounds of silk
clothing, I reflected that this was the appropriate way to conclude
my trip. In the giant air-cooled building I felt both happy and
relaxed, knowing that I had reached the end of a long day's journey
in the most elegant of surroundings, appreciating the skills of
Chiang Mai's craftsmen.
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