RJEVKJEWS NM1U \l Avi'Ji'I'tt'i.lfi~~H,'HU Six Hundred Years of Work by Thai Artists & Architects tPJtJ t'11n noenwuf'J'J 1ninTm; JJs.?. rmqn: 1.h1T:mJ by Joti Ka/yanamitra, with a foreword by M.R. Kukrit Pramoj Bangkok; The Fine Arts Commission of the Association of Siamese Architects, Under Royal Patronage; 1977 · in Thai and English,· 135 + xiv pp., il/us.; 180 baht (US$9.-) TWO VIEWS OF A PIONEERING REFERENCE WORK I The reviewer, Somphob Phirom, was Director-General of the Fine Arts Department and professor of architecture at Silpakorn University until his retirement a few years ago. Whiltr he commends the volume under review as far as it goes, he feels it should have focused on the objective of promoting the works of artists who have themselves advanced the cultural accomplishments ofThailand and stimulated others to do so. Professor Somphob sees three main categories of artists or artisans in Thai culture: draftsmen, sculptors/ carvers, and constructors. He lists a number of artists who are not mentioned in the volume but whose works entitle them to a place in Thai art history; e.g. HSH Prince ltthepasan Kridakorn, Nart Bhothiprasart, Silp Bhirasri, Ekarit Manfredi, Daeng Keh and Chitr Bucibut. In some cases of artists who are mentioned, only some facets of their work are represented while others have been ignored (e.g. the building achievements of HRH Prince Prisdang). Professor Somphob discusses technical aspects of terminology, art objects and their history; offers corrections on some erroneous data and explanatory material; and corrects a few typographical errors. He comments that he is in general pleased with the volume, which he sees as the result of a project he himself had initiated when he was Dean of the Faculty of .Architecture at Silpakorn University. 0 0 I t! ~ ~ -I 1 IIJ 91 ~· 0 0 c:~l 91 rl1Ul V11'lWTil1'n.J 2J.l.1. flfl~VI1i lll1 lJ'lf ~~Wllr.J'Ufl1'U11U'UCUElfl11lJ ..lr ~ 1 ..,<\\~ 1· oo~l 91oGJ91 Vlff-11ffl2Jfltufi1CU tl-1'\1'U~ 'fftlti ~r.JLU W1~fl1 'U1'UtlltiU'n1VI1 n1 q . 91 91~ ~ 0 cv ,J., " 11J I o .,_. CU1W1 'll1tiflfl-1 fi1W~CUtN'lf11\91~1'U\?lflVI11,. fl'U u~ ~lJff1flt1J~tln ~ 0 ., " -11ti'll tl-1fltiG)fff1flty 143 144 Sornphob Phirorn 0 I "I " ~ 'J/ .S. ~ 'JIG) I'\ "'-IIJ!V r1TJ1 'lf1-:J lUflUJ1l'V1CJJJm1JJ'I1JJ1tJfl11-:JGU'J1H\fi0)1-:J 1"111 Ai()'Jl t11~1LUJJ ~)91 I I oil " I <\1 I " ~ I I I I ~ U11-:J'J1111l.J l.J1CJG}f1-:Jl1~e:JG}f1-:J t~Cln1'JJJ'J1'lf1-:J 1GJ1l.J G}f1~1"l!CJU I ~ I I 'J/ J. I GJ'J/O cv I " * G}l'HIJ'U !H\~G}fl-:Jfiflff~1-:J 9N\?lflJJ1 A'lf'il1fi\9l'J1 fff111J\?lr.Jmn.J "'- " J. 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I Iii II) I "" ~ "' <~I l.J1CJ\9ll'U 'Wi11r.J\?llmnn wmnn1 :e11 mtJ ~:u utJJJ 1~r.Jn nu "i]g: L11U LW11~m/h jJVJ11U ~OlJ11~e:JU1&:1Vlfl'j'VltJ l~ ff ~u"'n Ljtll.J i'VlCJ '111 REVIEWS 145 ' ~11UfH I 0 0 AI .., 9/ "'' <]' 9/G) I I 9S1Wl1tl1rt1'rff1'Junucu11 vnmL'O'Yl 'fi9Sti1rt1'J 1GU1 All11tt~r..m 146 Somphob Phirom "]{I <I] "'' ~ fi I I ~-~ cv rf cv ~ ~ V 9 '1l1f1fl1'.i'Vftl1'.itU1ti1 '11ti11 'Vl1tiv..IIJ'.i~'Wti'D'I1ti~C1'V'ULGU1 '~ It I,~ II 'U I ~91 11 ~H L1l1l~l11J'.i"J:JJ'lf1-:J 1'VJ(J~-:j i:JJf1{11"Jti1:JJ9JtN'lf1-:J'lf1"J(J 1'.iU'VJL911 q :JJ1vl1-:J1ti~1~ LtiU'.i~1'Vlf11'VJ(J U{l~!cul i ~11i.:J L1lLU'W1~11l1~"iN.:J1ti I <i <i V 91 "'' .I ~ ~~~ c>j I 9 I <\ ~ I I <\ 'lf1~'Vl1 f1(J"J9JV~~'J(Jfl{IIJ'I1'.ifN1tiv.J:JJfH1JtiC1'"Jti A'l1t)J tl{J nlf1{11"J tN ""'~ 91 '91-=i o~l «~ "' 91 ""'~ ' <1 91 {J1ti'Vl1~1ff1f1'l"J:JJ LL:JJU~v..l'VJL:Uti"Jfl1f1ll~(JLL'VJ~'.i~ l'lfti 'W'.i~fNfl1'1l1 'U REVIEWS 147 n1nn1~11·nnn't1ua ~.JH ~1~ f1m.l1~t.J Ylc~,'J 1u mw uuu L1J11ru 1'fln!j]~uJ~ 1~u 1h~tnY11 11~1~un 148 Somphob Phirom REVIEWS 149 W1'UU 'J'UW1' 2j' Wl.llJl1lJ1fi 150 Somphob Phirom tJ "' cv 'H117 GlGJ!m-G)~»m ill~ lllo.~ U'i:\~ lra!.lfn il1'VH1''alln'U tJ "' .., rru7 G)GJr:i ill~ h!o.a: HI:\~ ll!n.& m-wff'i:\lln'U 24 c:!l $1 "'\ r:l. v GJ ..,. 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I twmnnu LlJ'U'ImN~ Wtl1\91L'l:ln'Uflt~ A'Wf111~JJ~~fl wm1 11l~i~~·.rJ\1Y11'ULLfli4J cvo\124.ul "'~<4.1 4 GJ V $1 '11'U\IcHl'UL1Jt.!'I1'U "'fffl\91ltlJJ'I11H LL'i:\~fflJ A\14Jfl~4J1W 1'111 ...{ -4 $1 $1 c:il ~ * d "'\ .., 'VILJJfl4J 1~L '11 11 U'Ufltl!U~ flt"Ulilfff111J~tl n11JJf11ff~1 JJ'111'J'Ylfnt'lf.l ">\ 11JY 'J/ 9'11 d r .., <0\ .,<!\ ...{ '11 rnnhm AIPt'l!El':ifH A'I1EJ1\1Ut:Jl'lnfiU'lntJnU1'lltJ'Wt1'U"'ffmm.nmfl "<\ ... <!\ ij ·d .., ~~ ..till 'J/ 0 '11 GJ Ql t 19.f1fi11 '11U"' ffElt.!LU'UN'i:\D'Ut1'U'>1'Yl A\Pt"il1flf114JEl7El'>1 A'UffJJtlti'U "" rl tW mv nr JJ u lSI II Joti K11lymutmitra • .1\!l.~b>t••'n P:r,,rc~!•,u· n1 the l;'zH:ulty t)f Architecture, Silrakorn University, st;Ht~> that lm ..:•1!kd1qn nf ,l;wt till the lives and works of Thni artists and architects is irucnJcJ a•• ";m >1pprc,:iatiun tlf their unique ~~untributinn to Thai culture and identity :anJj m1 n tc~iam~:nt fur JMm~rity ~) that it may learn about those who never \\'anted to ht1 rc;:<lr-11:,1 in lii'>tl>~ry•· ( p. ~ tlf th·c intrnductiun). The intentions are highly lu.lmiruhh:; the rc•mh••. unf~,lrHmatt:ly, nn: nut worthy nf them. In setting tlUt I>J ~.:mnpilc a hil'gr;iphi.~.ul dktium.ny of trllditinnnl Thai artists and architects. Prnfc~<\\or Ju!i lm!l !lll;cn <Ill <~ huge nml dillicult tusk that has not heen attempted hef,lrc. The ih:kn<ll\·ietl!'!C'I the im.:mnpletenes.~ ()f his work, and expresses the h,)pe thlH >~tl,lili<m!; ;m,lc,lrtt·.:timt!i may he includc:d in subsequent editions. The cmnpil.ar <tmm~c:rl rhc nrti!ll!l nnd nr(:hitect!l dmHlltlugically fr()rn the Sukhothai perkH.i to !he rm~!K:III. hut tlm~e W~)rking primurily in the intcrnaticmulstyles of the last lUll yt:1m1 nrc nnl indmlcd. Fm c;.tdt :trti!it the lineage und birth and death dates are given. when klliH\'IL Tfl(;lfl thtt urliwt'K kn11wn ur liUflJ1U!ietl works arc listed with occasional brief de!;~riplimtiia m· c)tpl•mlltinnlL The entrien ure St:Hnetimcs nnnotnted with references. One ur twu, tlr il!i mlmy 1u ill thlzen, illustrations of the mtisL's works are included, and, fm ninct~:cntiHmd twcruicth,.J.:cntury urtiiiLil, often a photo of the artist as well. ln Ullditiuu tn dn~ t:mupiler'll intruduction, and u foreword by M.R. Kuktit Pramnj, tltcre iw 11 "wunc index" uc;;ording to chronological period (which serves as u tnhk1 of t:mucnlli), hut ncithcr n bihliol;{ruphy nor un nlrhulrctical or subject index. Profes!lur Joti'n ~111uk i~> clt'Jlrl}' uf interest nnd h1111 itll virtues. Nowhere else will a non*Thui-speuking render find 1111 much h:1si~.~ information on Bangkok-pet'it)d artists and architects so ~:mwenienrly ucce~~ible. While using the b()ok, readers will be reminded of truths that we ull !l(;uttetimes ulluw to slip nway to the backs of our brains.