The college in the court How a royally-supported initiative is helping to preserve traditional Thai craftsmanship Story by ORATIP NIMKANNON

Demons guarding the southern entrance to Prasart Phra Debidorn, at the Grand Palace.

When the sun sets on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River, the shimmering golden roof tiles of Bangkok's Grand Palace rarely fail to inspire awe.

Built in 1783 by the founder of the Chakri dynasty, King Rama I, the 218,400 square-metre palace compound used to serve as government offices and the king's official residence.

Today, the palace's opulent halls and tapering gilded spires house many of Thailand's most important works of art and religious artifacts, and the sumptuous temple complex that lies at its heart, Wat Phra Kaeo, draws millions of visitors each year.

But, as modern life moves further away from the trappings of tradition, the number of craftsmen trained in the arcane skills that shaped the palace has declined. As a result, evidence of Thailand's architectural heritage is now seldom seen outside temples, museums, or preserved, historical buildings. With traditional skills in danger of being forgotten, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn helped establish a college devoted to teaching and preserving Thailand's chang sip mu, or 10 traditional crafts.

Suan Kularb Palace Adult School, situated inside the Grand Palace compound and operating under the auspices of the Bureau of the Royal Household, first threw open its doors in 1988. Eight years later, the Ministry of Education came on board to provide funding. The college changed its name to the Kanjanapisake Non-formal Education Centre and moved to its current location in Nakhon Pathom province. Still widely known as the College in the Court, the centre has so far trained more than 750 craftsmen from around the country.

The 10 techniques

MR Pinyosawat Suksawat (right) and master teacher Mayanam Auma discuss how traditional patterns will fit onto the wooden model boat.

While chang sip mu once referred to the original artists and craftsmen who would pass knowledge down from generation to generation, today the term is broadly used to define a set of 10 distinct techniques used in traditional Thai arts: drawing and painting, carving, engraving, sculpting, plastering, lacquering, puppetry, metal shaping, lathing, and moulding.

"Masks for khon characters combine all 10 techniques," says MR Pinyosawat director of the College in the Court, referring to the elaborate character masks used by dancers in performances of the quintessential Thai epic, the Ramakien.

Temple construction also requires knowledge of each technique. Wat Phra Kaeo, for example, has murals depicting the life of the Lord Buddha; panel doors featuring elaborate, inlaid mother-of-pearl carving; and the pavilion itself was constructed using traditional plastering techniques and features intricate gold and lacquer engraving.

At the College of the Court, teaching of the chang sip mu is conducted mainly through an 800-hour, eight-month course, at the end of which, each student is required to complete an additional four-month apprenticeship at the college. The College of the Court also offers a 300-hour course on the art of traditional Thai cooking.

Conservation of traditional skills is, of course, one of the college's aims but, as Pinyosawat explains, they also recognise that times have changed since the days of Rama I.

Making ends meet

For centuries, Thailand adhered to a form of feudalism in which workers were taken care of by their lords. Under this system, traditional craftsmen - such as those who worked on the Grand Palace - had no financial burden and were able to dedicate themselves to their craft.

"Craftsmen followed their families into the profession and had a genuine love for it," he says. "Nowadays, [traditional] craftsmen have to be able to support their families. They are required to survive on their own, and we have to ensure that all graduates can earn a living from selling their art. It would be useless to focus solely on preservation [of traditional skills] if it meant that by doing so, these students couldn't make ends meet."

And opportunities do seem to exist for students. The first mother-of-pearl lacquering class to graduate, for example, was royally commissioned to carry out conservation work at the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo. Other graduates, says Pinyosawat, choose to extend their apprenticeships or share their skills among their communities. Southern influences

As of this year, the college is offering a course tailored to teens from Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, three provinces in Thailand's restive South. The new 500-hour course, says Pinyosawa, aims to create job opportunities for teenagers who may otherwise struggle to find employment.

The college employs a senior teacher - the esteemed painter Mayanam Auma - and a teaching assistant from Pattani to instruct classes of Thai-Muslim students in the two traditional arts of painting and mother-of-pearl lacquering. Rather than using purely Thai patterns, however, themes reflect a mixture of local and traditional Thai culture. During the course, for example, students learn how to paint these hybrid patterns onto miniature wooden kolae boats, which they will later sell.

Each class accepts up to 15 students and, as HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn intended, gives priority to students from impoverished families who have displayed a genuine interest in the craft. Although not everyone will continue practicing the craft after leaving the college, those who choose to pass on their knowledge will ensure that the art of chang sip mu will be around for future generations to enjoy.

For more information on the Kanjanapisake Non-formal Education Centre (College in the Court), visit www.nfe.go.th/0415 or call 02-431-3623.