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- VOL. 12.9
Tatonka’s Globetrotter Cuisine
Another jewellery best-buy from Phuket, the "Pearl of the South", is just that - cultured pearls. With over 5,000 oysters each producing a large pearl every two years, the world is your oyster - choose from set and mounted rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces and bracelets, or buy raw pearls and create your own unique special setting.
The southern provinces are particularly noted for their distinct basketry. Krajood, or bulrush reeds, are skillfully woven into functional, durable mats, containers and bags. Entire villages, as with many Thai handicrafts activities, base a large portion of their income on creating and selling such products. A finer, fern-like vine, yaan lipao, lends sophisticated style to everyday containers. Elegant handbags, bracelets, trays, betelnut boxes meticulously woven and finished have their aristocratic roots dating from the Rattanakosin Period, in the late 18th century. Inexpensive, utilitarian baskets constructed of various natural materials and used for daily chores such as fishing, winnowing, cooking and carrying rice are available in vintage and contemporary versions.
What often appears extraordinary to visitors may simply be everyday for Thai craftspeople. Traditional skills are applied to readily available materials, and functional wares are developed with little thought of their creators' artistic abilities. Textile weaving dating back thousands of years is a ready example. Hand-spun and woven cotton and silk, rated among the best in the world, remains an exceptional buy. Hand-made clothing, pillows, ties and scarves from villages in the North and Northeast offer inimitable designs. Include, in your collection, the special purchase of mud mii fabrics - similar to Malay ikat, that word meaning "to tie" or "wrap around". Tying and dying sections of the weft yarns predetermines the colour scheme and pattern before weaving. From simple two-colour designs to complex styles incorporating numerous shades and tiny organic, geometric and Buddhist symbols are woven into lengths used as sarongs and other garments. The southern provinces' batiks present original designs with influences from Malaysia. The colourful array of fabric lengths is ideal for clothing, tablecloths and beach blankets.
Southern Thai nielloware is recognized for its fine craftsmanship, and is created usually in silver. Gold neillo is rare and expensive. Neilloware, a status symbol first mentioned in the early Ayutthaya Period, in 1450, was used to decorate manuscript covers, urns, vases, teapots, bowls and other containers in aristocratic households. During the 1600s, King Narai the Great established neillo items as gifts for royalty and dignitaries from foreign countries. The southern provinces also offer interesting pewterware pounded and polished into functional shapes, while the ancient art of intricately patterned silverware made in the North has long been popular worldwide.
Bronzeware fashioned into ornate bowls, trays and cutlery elegantly complement any setting.
Khon, a traditional Thai form of theatre associated with the epic Ramakien, Thailand's version of the Ramayana, presents a choreographed masked play with music. Khon masks, worn by performers identify the various characters. The making of these masks is an ancient art passed from generation to generation by highly skilled craftspeople. Natural materials such as mulberry or sa paper, leather, pearls, the black sap of the rak tree and 24-carat gold leaf are used in producing one of Thailand's distinctive national art forms.
Larger-than-life papier mache portraits with religious themes are an exotic option. Discover these vintage items in better antique shops and galleries.
A more petite treasure is found in a bottle. Delicate baby-orchid keepsakes stored in glass bottles are great conversation starters. When you arrive home, the three- to six- month-old seedlings should remain in the flasks until the leaves reach the top. After that, break the bottle before planting the orchids according to the instructions, and soon you will be rewarded with beautiful Vanda Blue or Lucky Golden Ring Catteya blossoms.
If this is all too much for you, and you simply cannot decide which treasure to take home, buy them all! If that isn't practicable, consider purchasing a range of books, local magazines, postcards and stationary so you can at least read about what you didn't pack in your suitcase. A fine selection of well-written books with superb photos, many of them only available within the Kingdom, include such titles as Arts and Crafts of Thailand, Lanna Style, The Elephant in Thai Life & Legend, Thai Textiles, and A Day in the Life of Thailand Browse hotel gift shops for their own Thai cookbooks. Many tales of Thai experiences written by Thai nationals and expatriates also make entertaining reading.
Bargaining for prices is conventional with most vendors. Shop around, compare prices and, in Thailand, rarely pay the first price unless it's marked. Even then, it may be worth bargaining.
We've suggested only a few of the available collectibles and handcrafted bargains, but this is already more than enough to fill the extra spaces in your luggage, some of your bags, perhaps, brand-new. And you're certain to encounter many more in the course of your travels. Your chosen treasures can bring you and your friends and family back home a richer understanding of Thai culture, as well as pleasant memories that will linger long after your stay in Thailand.