Thailand

by Kenta Takeshige

In Thailand, lacquer is called Yang Rak or Ton Rak.
The history of Thai lacquer art is unclear: it is believed that the Kern tribe, while moving from southern China to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, brought along lacquer art. The Thai word for lacquerware is still Kreung Kern, a remnant of this conviction.

In 1296 the Kingdom of Lan Na was founded in the Chiang Mai area in northern Thailand. It became the center of Thai lacquer art. The lacquer crafts produced in this region are called Lan Na lacquer and are mostly items for everyday use, using woven or ringed bamboo as substrates. Later on, during the Ayutthaya dynasty, arts & crafts developed to a high degree under the patronage of the royal family. Especially in the late Ayutthaya era, Thai lacquer art reached its golden age. Gorgeous lacquer crafts were made using the techniques of Mother-of-Pearl and "Gold Leaf Painting" which is called "Lai Rot Nam".

Thai lacquer techniques

This gold leaf technique "Lai Rot Nam" lets the decoration emerge by rinsing with water. For starters, a decorative motif is drawn on a black lacquer surface. Next, water-soluble glue is applied to this black background. Then, the entire surface is covered with a thin layer of lacquer. This layer is wiped off and the gold leaf is pressed on top of it. Later on, by rinsing with a large amount of water the glue will loosen. Thus the gold leaf in the background will come off while the decorative motif in gold leaf remains.

Other Thai lacquer techniques include "Lai Kam Lan Na" and "Lai Khut". Lai Kam Lan Na is a kind of scratch painting: a free drawing is scratched into the gold leaf with a needle. Lai Khut was introduced to Japan during the Edo period and transformed into the Kagawa regional technique named Kinma.

Because sap collection is prohibited in Thailand at present to protect lacquer trees, Thailand has to import all lacquer sap from Myanmar.