Heritage crafts, modern luxury

COMPROMISE IS OFTEN the name of the game in the delicate balancing act between preserving cultural heritage and ensuring that ancient crafts continue to survive in the modern world.
One way this can be achieved is through brand building and it is this commercial practice that was behind the recent launch of the Lux by Sacict collection. The new project from the Support Arts and Crafts International Centre of Thailand, to give Sacict its full name, aims to honour master artisans of the Kingdom in line with Her Majesty the Queen’s royal initiatives to revive, preserve and promote national craft heritage.
Under the new move, Sacict will encourage the development and extension of folk crafts to high crafts, adding value to the treasures and bringing a better quality of life to the people and their communities.
Sacict’s president Karun Kittisataporn notes that the intricate creations by master artisans and new craftsmasters from seven disciplines are deeply rooted in the artistic traditions passed down through the centuries.
“The inimitable and incomparable works of the highly skilled craftsmasters are precious pieces which deserve to be collected. We therefore set up Lux by Sacict as a new pathway linking the craftsmasters with clients who truly appreciate the beauty of arts and crafts. The project is also expected to help promote the image of Thai crafts globally,” he told The Nation at the official launch of the project at the Sukhothai Bangkok.
Sacict’s chief executive Pimpapaan Chansilpa, concurs. “In line with Her Majesty’s vision, Lux by Sacict will serve as a platform for the promotion of our arts and crafts in the international market. Our precious crafts are part of our national treasure, and will therefore bring pride to whoever owns them, In addition, by supporting the master artisans’ works, buyers are contributing to the preservation of our craft heritage,” she says.
However, both note that because all the pieces in the collection are handmade and thus take months, sometimes years, to produce, Lux by Sacict is unable to take large orders.
The first collection under the brand’s umbrella is “Gold Touch” and is not only closely associated with the wisdom and expertise of Thailand’s master artisans of Thailand but also serves as a showcase for the value of the production processes and materials used.
A miniature cabinet with the “Rod Nam” pattern by Thanin Chuenjai has been carefully fashioned to meet the lifestyles of today’s consumer, no matter where he or she might live.
An accomplished artisan in Phetchaburi province, Thanin says that sophisticated lines and patterns have an endless beauty and the precious touch of gold leaf reflects the identity of Phetchaburi’s handicraft mastery.
“These cabinets are normally found in the temple and used to hold books on Buddhist teaching. I have made them in miniature form so that our l heritage can become closer to modern life. The lacquer painting requires immense skill and knowledge of the arts. I have always told my students that they must learn to apply the master’s teaching in a way that both preserves our precious artworks while keeping them touchable in real life. I have no problem with the preservation of art through commercial means. Preservation must be done as part of everyday life if the art of lacquer painting that’s been in existence for hundreds of years is to survive.”
Urai Taengiem, master artisan in the famous porcelain products of Baan Don Kai Dee Benjarong, holds a similar view.
She has never lost faith in her craft and after the 1997 economic crash caused the famous porcelain factory in Samut Sakhon province to close, organised her fellow porcelain makers and set up the Baan Don Kai Dee Benjarong village.
Benjarong’s distinctive five colours – black, red, green, yellow and pink – are enhanced by hand-made liquefied gold paint that adds a special glow. The pattern on the holy water jar dates back to the reign of King Rama II. The jar itself, scaled down from the original brass jar, was made manually based on techniques from the early Rattanakosin period.
“Benjarong porcelain has always made a great gift. Today we have developed more colour techniques. Modern style Benjarong has 10 colours with modern patterns related to nature like peacocks, flowers or traditional Thai designs. All of them are unique and very delicate in the details. Even the broken pieces of Benjarong are valuable. They can be used to decorate temples or make sculpture. So we have never have any leftovers,” Urai says.
Among the other master crafts attracting the attention of guests at the launch were the stone-polished metal bowls by Metta Selanon, the sixth generation progeny of an artisan family engaged in this stone-craft, whose speciality is stone-polished bronzeware and other stone-polished vessels fashioned from metal alloys. The traditional “Kan Long Hin” or “Kan Bu” (stone-polished bowl sets) were first crafted by the Baan Bu community during the Ayutthaya era but the time-consuming production process meant they stood little chance of survival in the fast-paced modern world. Thanks to Metta, who has incorporated modern styles and patterns with this ancient craft, the works are now capturing the imagination of today’s collectors.
Also greatly admired was Viradham Trakoonngeunthai gold-brocaded silk. A master artisan, gold silk weaver and occasional rice farmer from Surin province, he set up his “Chan Soma” weaving group in Baan Tha Sawang village and combined the intricate patterns found in the ancient royal courts with traditional techniques. The group’s Pha Sangwian cloth, dyed with natural colours, is woven in the Garuda and Naga pattern and topped with cone-shaped additions.
Nikhom Nok-aksorn, master artisan in silver and gold nielloware from Nakhon Si Thammarat, was represented at the event by his son, Vajira, named a new heritage artisan for 2014.
Nikhom has left his signature on more than one masterpiece but perhaps the most famous is the Thom Ta Thong handbag, made by applying three to four coats of gold flecks on a silver surface. Today only seen in museum pieces, the precious art of nielloware has become part of modern life through Lux by Sacict.
New heritage artisan Pramote Khaohern, a descendant of Sukhothai goldsmith master Somsamai, has come up with jewelled art pieces with sophisticated patterns while Wattana Kaewdoungyai, a Khon mask master from Nonthaburi, has stayed true to her late great grandfather’s work for a collection that any art connoisseur would be proud to own.
Also on show at the event was Phra Buddha Maha Paraminubhab Visudh Anuttra Sangam Vijay, on loan from the National Artist Chakrabhand Posayakrit, who designed and made this exquisite form of Buddha image for his much-anticipated “Taleng Pai” puppet theatre.
 NEW BRAND
 n Lux by Sacict products are available at the Support Arts and Crafts International Centre of Thailand in Bang Sai, Ayutthaya.
n For more details, visit www.Facebook.com/LUXbySACICT.