Heritage of Phetchaburi’s Artisans
Phetchaburi is renowned and acknowledged as one of the country’s top cities for artisans. This is because Petchaburi possesses preserved invaluable ancient artworks, and the wisdom of its artisan schools has been passed down from generation to generation to the present day.
Artisanry in Phetchaburi flourished greatly during the late Ayutthaya period. During this era, many Phetchaburi natives had close ties to the royal court of Ayutthaya. They served as highly revered monks of great knowledge and virtue, respected by the king, royalty, and nobles. They also had familial relations with members of the royal court and held official positions. Examples of these individuals include Somdet Phra Sangkharat Taengmo of Wat Phra Mahathat in Ayutthaya, who came from Wat Yai Suwannaram; Phra Achan Saeng of Wat Khao Bandai It; and Krom Luang Aphaianuchit and Krom Luang Phiphitmontri of King Borommakot’s reign, who were of Brahmin descent from Ban Samoe Phlue.
During the late Ayutthaya period, many temples in Phetchaburi underwent extensive restoration, including Wat Yai Suwannaram, Wat Mahathat, Wat Khao Bandai It, and Wat Phra Phutthasaiyat. These renovations were sponsored by the royal court, which sent royal artisans from the capital to work on the projects for a long time. At the same time, local artisans must have also been summoned to assist the royal craftsmen.
This participation in the work allowed the wisdom and artistry of the royal court’s craftsmen to be passed down and taught to Phetchaburi’s artisans. This led to a process of learning, exchange, adaptation, and the passing on of skills from generation to generation. Phetchaburi artisans favored continuing and building upon the master art styles of the Ayutthaya period. There were both groups of artisans who maintained the tradition of creating works in the style of the old capital’s masters and other groups who developed their own unique, expressive style. Ultimately, the style of Phetchaburi’s artisanry developed its own identity as an artistic form that carries a hint of Ayutthaya feel but with a distinct local Phetchaburi character, becoming the “Phetchaburi Artisan School.”
Entering the early Rattanakosin period, Phetchaburi’s artisanry continued to maintain its distinct “Phetchaburi Artisan School” identity, which was well passed on from the Ayutthaya period.
This is evidenced by the names of numerous local artisans who were drafted to renovate Wat Mahathat during the reign of King Rama III. Examples of these artisans include “Nai Sin, Nai Ma of Ban Mai; Nai In, Nai Chu, Nai Thi of Ban Don Chaeng; and Nai Nak of Ban Chong Sakae.” They also created a great number of works from this era that remain as evidence such as Wat Mahathat, Wat Uthai, Wat Chai Surin, and Wat Tha Khoi.
During the reigns of King Rama IV and King Rama V, an era that began to embrace Western influence, many works of Western-style craftsmanship emerged in Phetchaburi. These included Phra Nakhon Khiri, the Government House, Phra Ram Ratchaniwet, and various official residences. Many Phetchaburi artisans adapted their skills to the new trends, giving rise to a new branch of work influenced by the West, though they never abandoned their traditional skills. Master artisans of this era included Khrua In Khong, Phra Uppachaya Rit of Wat Phlapphla Chai, Khun Siwangyot, Phra Achan Pao of Wat Phra Song, Nai Huan Tanawanna, Nai Loet Puangphradet, Nai Phin Infa Saeng, and Nai Yu Inmi.
The Artisans of Petchaburi
During King Rama IV, the local economy expanded following the Bowring Treaty. We saw a shift in patronage for Phetchaburi’s artisans from the royal court and provincial governors to local merchants and wealthy commoners. A large number of temples were renovated and newly constructed. The custom of building temporary funeral pyres for respected individuals also became highly popular. These funeral pyres required many types of artisans to work together, including structural builders, carpenters, painters, sculptors, paper carvers, and floral arrangement artisans. These pyres were built for a single use and burned along with the body. Hence, artisans were constantly designing, training, and experimenting, making it another golden age for Phetchaburi’s crafts.
As Prince Damrong Rajanubhab wrote: “In Phetchaburi, the old custom of burning the funeral pyre along with the body remains. So, Phetchaburi still has many artisans, as they are always making paper pyres.”
In this era, temples served as centers for artisan training. The most famous schools of craft were at Wat Yang, Wat Phlapphla Chai, Wat Yai Suwannaram, Wat Phra Song, Wat Lat, and Wat Ko.
The prosperity of crafts during this period laid the foundation for the continuation of various “Phetchaburi Artisan Schools” that last until the present day. These include painters, stucco sculptors, carpenters, woodcarvers, paper-punching artisans, lacquer and glass-inlaid gilding artisans, goldsmiths, and mother-of-pearl inlay artisans. For this reason, the Ministry of Culture has honored Phetchaburi as the “City of Artisans of Siam.”
Among all these crafts, the work of the painter is considered the most important. This is because all other crafts, whether stucco sculpture, carving, lacquered and gilded painting, paper punching, or mother-of-pearl inlay, rely on the designs from the painters. Artisans are therefore interdependent, as the saying goes: “The turner must rely on the pattern drawer; the sculptor must rely on the painter.” Because of this, training in any of these crafts requires a foundation in painting, which is why some artisans can master multiple fields.
The examples of Phetchaburi’s painting crafts include a “lotus-at-the-bottom-of-the-bowl designed by Phrakhru Yanawichai (Yit Suwanno)” of Wat Ko, a kanok pattern by Phra-ajarn Pao Panyo of Wat Phra Song, and a pattern book of traditional Thai designs by Panyaphalo Bhikhu (Naeb Suwanpatti), who copied the works of ancient master craftsmen into a khoi book. These pattern books serve as sought-after templates and teachers for painters in their work, as seen in the painting skills used in the Vessantara Jataka scenes by master artisan Lert Puangpradej, and in a star divination khoi book from Wat Khun Tra.
As for structural woodworking and perforated carving, examples of this craftsmanship are displayed through a European-style pulpit from Wat Tha Sala Ram, a Patimokkha pulpit, and a carved wooden vent from Phetchaburi Rajabhat University. These are works from the Wat Phlapphla Chai artisan school. There are also gold-stamped paper used to decorate funeral pyres from the Wat Lat artisan school and a palm-leaf scripture box with mother-of-pearl inlay. They both reflect the uniqueness of Phetchaburi.
