The underappreciated National Museum is home to a treasure trove of Thailand's cultural history and the food shop on the grounds offers the ideal spot for a leisurely lunch
Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and the adjoining Grand Palace are Thailand's premier tourist attractions, with thousands visiting daily. It's strange then that the National Museum, which is also among the country's most important cultural landmarks, seems to be largely off tourists' radar. It feels as quiet and lonely as a deserted playing field.
PALATIAL AND PEACEFUL: Above, the old-fashioned garden in front of the National Museum. Below, the design of the museum’s doorframes is specific to the building, a former major palace.
The structure itself has great cultural importance. It was originally the Wang Na, or second-ranking palace used by the monarchy (the king resided in the Grand Palace). Tourists visiting the Grand Palace can only view the surrounding grounds and facade of the building, which offers only a superficial impression of its character. But they are welcome to explore every part of the National Museum. Visitors can see the throne room where the king attended royal functions and received guests, the bedroom and all other rooms, although it is now uncertain which room originally served as the kitchen.
The museum is also highly cultural significant because of its special architectural design, for which there are reasons deeply rooted in Thai tradition. Thailand's system of cultural values associated with the monarchy decrees that the Grand Palace is the most profoundly revered of all palaces. None of the others can be even of comparable beauty. But the designer of the Wang Na gave it a unique character, a special beauty different from that of the Grand Palace.
One example is the style of the ornamentation of the roof, called nak sadung in Thai. On the roof of the Grand Palace, these designs have many levels of curves and undulations, while those on the Wang Na are straight and even. The doorframes, too, are different. On the Wang Na they are curved, while at the Grand Palace they are angular and square. These design features are striking and beautiful to the eye trained to appreciate them.
A third interesting feature of the National Museum is the assortment of items once used by people from every level of society, including many associated with religious beliefs. Although they now sit silent in their displays, each item has its own long history and special meaning. But in order to make contact with it, knowledge and understanding are necessary.
APPETISING ASIDES: Dishes from the museum’s food shop.
One of the museum's many interesting artefacts is the bronze statue in front of the Phra Thee Nang Phutto Sawan (the building at the front of the museum). It depicts Phra Narai holding a bow. It shows that Thai artists could cast in bronze and allow a green patina to form on the outside of it in the Western manner. However, most other Thai bronze statues are black because the government officials who maintained them liked to have the statues given a black coating. Even the equestrian statue of King Rama V, which was cast in Europe, was given a black coating.
The building, which was originally called the Phra Thee Nang Isaraawinitchai, is now used to display different artefacts. The collection of small Buddha images and ornaments, all made of gold, is especially interesting. Some are very old, dating from the Ayutthaya period. Some of the images show beautiful, detailed workmanship and have a high artistic value, but many of them are simple in the manner of folk art. They are all made of gold, however, and reflect the reverence of their makers, even if their craftsmanship was not at the highest level.
It is a shame that the museum does not provide adequate lighting to illuminate these gold artefacts in a way their beauty and significance deserves.
The ornaments on the doorframe leading to the next room are also very beautiful, with a Chinese-style curtain featuring an elegant contemporary design, showing that all kinds of art can coexist harmoniously, and that no style ever really dies. The design usually goes unnoticed because the door is left open, but when closed, it gives the feeling of a curtain closing off the next room.
That room contains ceramic items, mostly plates, curry bowls, and pots from many different historical periods, from the Sukhothai period through the Ayutthaya and Ratanakosin eras. Unfortunately, they are not displayed in a way that shows how these items were and used in each period and by which strata of society _ which ones were used by villagers, for example, and how? But at least these items are available for viewing, as many are now scarce.
There is also an exhibit of knives and weapons, although weapons take up most of the space. Weapons were used in different ways. Thai swords were all called fish head swords because the ends were rounded, not pointed like Lao swords. Thai swordsmen fought at close range, so that slashing rather than jabbing motions were used and the swords had to be made so that the fighter would not impale himself.
Some swords had samurai sword-style blades, but most of these were art objects, esteemed for their beauty rather than as weapons for combat. They were brought into Thailand beginning in the Ayutthaya period, and many were made by important Japanese swordmakers.
These are only a few of the many thousands of artefacts on display at the National Museum. And that is just one part of the building that shouldn't be missed.
There is also the dining room located behind that museum's spirit house. As a food shop, it couldn't look more unremarkable _ just an ordinary place offering the usual curries and stir-fries, and not many of them. There are also a few that are cooked to order, like fried rice and pad thai. But the cooking is quite good, and some dishes are delicious. The drinks available are also pretty standard. You can either eat the food there or take it away.
But what makes this food shop worth visiting is the atmosphere. The shop is open and breezy, pleasantly quiet, and when you look outside, you can savour the atmosphere of the past, with traditional Thai architecture of great beauty. Prices are unbelievably low. You can order a bowl of kaeng khio wan mu (spicy coconut cream pork curry), a fried egg, a piece of breaded fried chicken, and a soft drink with ice for only 50 baht.
A little background knowledge can make a trip to the National Museum a rich experience. There is no need to hesitate for fear of crowds, because the atmosphere is peaceful and always ready to welcome visitors. A leisurely trip there can make for a memorable afternoon.
A former Outlook staff member and now retired, Suthon Sukphisit has written articles on Thailand’s art and culture and on topics related to Thai society, history, archaeology, architecture, environment and education. These days, he spends his leisure time pursuing another topic in which he is well versed: Food and cooking. He can be reached at suthonsukphisit@hotmail.com.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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