On average we tend to think of umbrellas as mundane things churned out from a factory, made of stainless steel and a bit of plastic, usually cheap flimsy things you buy in a hurry when it's starting to rain and dispose of with quickly. Or maybe you have a favorite one inherited from your grandfather. But for the most part umbrellas are just, well... umbrellas! You don't think about that stuff anymore than you would a fork, a knife, or the office chair you are sitting in reading this article, browsing the Internet, chatting with friends on Facebook.
What if I told you that in Chiang Mai making umbrellas is an art form, and that each and every one has been crafted with loving care so that no two of them are quite alike?
In places like Baan Bor Saang in the San Kam Paeng area in Chiang Mai, there is a vast cottage industry built around mulberry paper products, one of which is the belle of the ball: parasols made of bamboo wood and mulberry paper. Commonly called jong in the regional Lanna dialect of the north (the dialect itself is named kham mueng, literally "city language" in relation to the old Lanna Kingdom as the center of the north). The parasol itself is considered a symbol of prestige, having been the province of aristocrats, nobility and monkhood in feudal times: the more elaborate one is, the higher one's status.
Parasols were often used during ceremonies for blessing, engagement, and state occasions presided over by the reigning monarch: the parasol-bearer was considered to have the same honor as a standard-bearer during wartime. Common patterns used to decorate each parasols were auspicious Buddhist symbols, colorful flora, and fortune-bringing animals such as birds and turtles. Flowers and leaves were also a common theme.
Today the artists of Baan Bor Saang continue to craft these highly exceptional works of art. While the common tourist souvenir tends to look cheap, some of the best works done in this village turn out truly memorable patterns done on silk and mulberry paper: both of which are materials that have also been handmade in the cottage industry ecosystem of Chiang Mai. Silk of high quality is dyed and woven with beautiful threads to create astonishing, shimmering effects to catch the eye and hold the attention. The mulberry paper itself, far from being common factory products, is individually dyed sheet by sheet into batik patterns or elaborate scripts in the Lanna alphabet telling local folklores, stories, and legends.
This entire process helps support the highly creative concentration of artists in Chiang Mai, maintaining a self-sufficient system where there is little to no need to import materials from outside the country or even the province, as both bamboo, mulberry paper and silk are grown in Chiang Mai and surrounding provinces such as Lamphun and Lampang. The history of parasol-making in Baan Bor Saang can be traced a hundred years previous thanks to the cultural and intellectual exchange of a Thai monk and a Burmese craftsman that made the village one of the most productive and prestigious when it comes to the making of Thai umbrellas.
Visiting Chiang Mai, Thailand? Find more information about the city in our tours and sightseeing guide and our Chiang Mai accommodation choices.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6429265
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