REFLECTIONS OF DIFFERENT CULTURES

       When it comes to murals, many people tend to almost immediately think of traditional and religious images. In fact, Thai murals also reflect cultures and local life. Best fitting this description are murals from the reign of King Chulalongkorn - Rama V - when artists' imagery began to reflect Western culture and their own cultures in pursuit of a Thai identity.
       STANDING TALL: One of the murals at Wat Chonthara Singhe, Narathiwat, portrays the Buddha preaching to Thais as well as reflects local-life activities. At the height of imperialism, the murals here were used to confirm to Britain that this area belonged to Siam.
       "Thai murals document Thai culture, national identity, minority cultures to define Thai culture, Thai culture in opposition to Western culture, and the reproduction and glorification of Western culture," said Gerhard Jaiser, the author of the book Thai Mural Painting Volume 1: Iconography, Analysis & Guide.
       He said the Fourth Reign (1851-1868) saw a sudden and major change in the style of murals. King Mongkut - Rama IV - was interested in the new Western-influenced style of painting. The leading artist of this new style was Khrua In Khong. His works led to the introduction of a central perspective in Thai murals. At first glance, these murals could be mistaken for representations of a European style. But small details, such as a hidden chedi, served to identify the country of origin.
       Also in the Fourth Reign, many new subjects were introduced to murals. For example, the folk tale of Sri Thanonchai was told through murals at Wat Pathum Wanaram in Bangkok. The story of Inao was shown on the murals at Wat Somanat in Bangkok.
       "After the Fourth Reign, there was no break or line [between murals].
       "Khrua In Khong from the Fourth Reign introduced Western-style painting," said Jaiser, who teaches the German language and German literature at Universitas Indonesia and has a keen interest in Thai murals.
       KEEPING COMPANY : One of the murals at Wat Nong Yang Sung, Saraburi, portrays foreigners of various nationalities living in the same house.
       Nevertheless, the biggest change during the fourth and fifth reigns was probably a tendency towards narrating history, customs and ceremonies of life. The stories were taken from history or current affairs instead of Buddhist legends. Good examples are the murals at Wat Ratchapradit, where King Rama IV's remains were once stored. One panel shows the king observing the solar eclipse of 1868 in the South, where he contracted malaria and subsequently succumbed to it.
       Commissioned and supervised by King Rama V, the murals at Phra Thinang Songphanuat, created for the king himself at the palace and later moved to the Marble Temple, tell the story of the Fifth Reign. The story starts from the king's monkhood, moves on to the funeral of his father, progresses to his new temples, shows the visits of foreign dignitaries, and includes his overseas and domestic trips, to his reform works.
       Outside Bangkok and Thon Buri, the number of murals during the Fifth Reign (1868-1910) increased significantly. They exhibited a tendency towards documenting local culture.
       For example, the murals at Wat Senasanaram, Ayutthaya, are a record of the painters' impressions of ceremonies, Thai daily life, and foreign influence. They portray local culture, Buddhist ceremonies, such as the Loy Krathong festival, and activities at the Giant Swing.
       STEPPING UP: The story of Jujaka, a part of the Vessantara Jataka, is shown in a satirical and funny way on a mural at Wat Nong Yang Sung, Saraburi.
       "Here, there is a mural of the Giant Swing and people on it. Some observers couldn't stand the sight, and are pictured throwing up! There are also murals showing children playing traditional games," Jaiser said.
       At Wat Samupradittharam, Saraburi, the murals present the Thai Yuan culture of northern Thailand in unique detail, as well as daily work and local festivals. They also narrate the life and culture of local Chinese settlers while telling some religious stories. An interesting painting shows a warship of the Thai Army carrying the red Elephant Flag.
       Meanwhile, the murals at Wat Thammikaram, Lop Buri, depict Chinese culture. "They portray the life of the Buddha, but the scenes show Thai and Chinese people living together. They depict both good and bad behaviour and also show the superiority of Thai society," Jaiser said.
       However, the Thai murals on the Chinese are not political. "They just wanted to show that 'this is a very great culture of ours'. It's not really hatred or aggression. Many Thai murals show identity, like those of Isan and Lanna," Jaiser said.
       He said the murals at Wat Phumin, Nan, are among the country's most interesting evidence of the classical documentation of the Lanna culture and a negative depiction of Westerners (the French, specifically) and their political exertion of influence.
       CULTURAL TIES: A mural at Wat Thammikaram, Lop Buri, depicts Thai and Chinese people living in the same society.
       They interpret the Jataka (tales of the Buddha's past lives) and reflect the juxtaposition of Western and Lanna cultures. Those on the north wall depict the Khatthana Kumara Jataka, whose main theme is orphanhood. Foreigners are shown as those who cause orphanhood. Those on the west wall feature the Nemi Jataka, depicting the people of Nan going to heaven and the aggressors apparently going to hell.
       "Or the murals deliberately focus on the main aggressor - and this was, of course, the French - which is extensively depicted on the north wall. A direct hint of France is the flag, which is clearly the French tricolour. Foreigners are also shown in the harbour scene in the lower part of the wall," reads the book.
       In Narathiwat, the murals at Wat Chonthara Singhe were created for one special purpose - trying to preserve Thai sovereignty - at the height of colonisation. "They are a documentation of Thai and local cultures to prove to the British Empire that the area should belong to Thailand," Jaiser said.
       WISHING WELL: A mural at Wat Mahathat, Phetchaburi, shows a Westerner greeting two Thais.
       One of the murals shows the Lord Buddha visiting Thais. Another one depicts British warships threatening Thais. Several other paintings portray the daily life of Thais and the Chinese in Thai villages as well as certain erotic scenes.
       What is special about the murals at Wat Chonthara Singhe is their cartoon-like characteristic. Similar to them are the murals at Wat Tha Sung, Uthai Thani. Painted in 1928, they are highly original Western-style caricatures. They depict the life of the Lord Buddha by mixing modern lifestyles.
       "The set is the city of Varanasi, but a modern car, Thai opium pipes, cigarettes and more are portrayed as in modern magazines. The artist named Phra In also included his own portrait and his signature.
       "It's charming and funny," Jaiser added.
       Also featuring the signatures and self-portraits of the artists are some of the murals at Wat Mahathat, Phetchaburi. Traditionally portraying the Vessantara Jataka, they are outstanding for their daring use of perspective painting styles and their sympathetic and admiring depictions of Westerners. They provide details of Western apparel and lifestyles and local life.
       DISCLOSING INFORMATION: Some murals at Wat Tha Sung, Uthai Thani, and Wat Mahathat, Phetchaburi, include the artists’ self-portraits and signatures.
       "From these mural paintings, we can see men taking marijuana and a Westerner greeting Thais," Jaiser noted.
       He said many murals from the fifth to the seventh reign reflect a tendency of developing local styles, such as those at Wat Ban Yang, Wat Nong Yang Sung and Wat Nong No Nuea in Saraburi, and Wat Pichaipuranaram in Uthai Thani.
       After the Fifth Reign, the tradition of murals in Bangkok came to an abrupt end. A few murals were created during the Sixth Reign (1910-1925) by Thai and foreign artists in a neoclassical style, such as the fresco murals at Wat Rachathiwat, Bangkok.
       However, murals survived longer outside Bangkok and Thon Buri. During the fifth and sixth reigns, more artists from the central region dared to go their own ways. In the northeast and the south, muralists originally followed the central region's styles but later developed their own. They were more independent in their choice of topics.
       "Many murals from the Fifth Reign reflect and discuss Western culture. Many others like Isan and Lanna ones show [local] identity," Jaiser said.
       ENJOYING LIFE: A mural at Wat Tha Sung, Uthai Thani, shows Western-style caricatures depicting the life of the Lord Buddha by mixing modern lifestyles like a modern car and cigarettes.
       PULLING STRINGS: Some of the murals at Wat Phumin, Nan, negatively depict Westerners and their political use of influence.