Even the most casual glance at any of Bangkok's

many tourist and souvenir shops shows that wood carv-

ing, especially in teak, is a very special Thai skill. The

intricacy of imagination, design and execution are as

detailed and exquisite as anywhere in the world —

whether it be a two-foot-high elephant, a simple wall

plaque with the graceful figure of a woman, a miniature

character from one of Thailand's ancient legends or a

serving-tray with elaborately scrolled borders.

Wander along Bangkok's Sukhumvit Road and see

the richly carved sets of teak dining-room, living-room or

bedroom furniture in the shops. Better still, accept an

invitation into a Thai home and see the same beautiful

furniture, especially the heavy, low tables, in living sur-

roundings, used, cared for and loved.

tions. Teak is not only hard; it is also long-lasting and

resistant to the elements as welt as to insects.

Co farther a field, out into the remote countryside

and seek out an isolated Buddhist temple in the midst of

rice paddy-fields. Examine the beautifully carved win-

dows and doors, the carved and gilded gables and

cornices, made even more lovely by the passing years.

Inquire as to the age of the temple; it's probably a hun-

dred, maybe two or three hundred years old. The fine-

ness of the carving with its little 'thepanoms' or angels

clasping their hands in worship, is still as detailed and

fascinating as when the work was first done.

It's said that teak carving actually began in the forests

of Northern Thailand because the earliest carvers found

the huge teak tree-trunks too massive and heavy to carry

away — so, instead, they carved them into the shapes of

elephants, right there in the forest, and then towed them

back to their villages.

One of the earliest places in Thailand known to

have practiced teak carving is the village of San Ton

Muang (which originally meant "Three Mango Trees")

this village was called Pa Sak Luang or the Royal Teak

Forest, although there haven't been any teak trees in the

he no longer engages in this craft, though one of his sons

is carrying on with it.

Today's wood carvers no longer own the wood they

transform so beautifully; instead, they work on a con-

tract basis for the owner of each costly piece of teak, and

in villages such as San Ton Muang, where carving has

become a local tradition famous throughout Northern

Thailand, it's not uncommon for a massive piece of wood

to be brought for carving from as far away as Lampang, a

Wood carvers can earn quite good money compared

to some other trades. As in every craft and profession, it

 is those with a natural gift who first teach themselves,

and then pass on their skill by teaching others.

The carvers usually receive the teak in crude plank

or log form. They first draw the design onto the wood in

pencil, and the carving is then done in normal fashion

with a mallet and various chisels. Besides temple win-

dows, doors, gables, and so on, interior items for temples

are also richly and beautifully carved, such as 'a&cma' —

the special seats used by monks when delivering

sermons.

Household items include bed-heads, lamp stands,

and the old-style low tables already mentioned.

There are various styles of carving, some much

quicker and simpler to execute than others. The forms

known as 'lai Thai' or "Thai design", for instance, are

more or less uniform and repetitive, and therefore fairly

simple to carve; a bed-head done in a typical lotus pattern

or other floral design may take only a few days to do, and

the highly elaborate 'lai thepanom' designs used in temple

carvings, and the almost free-form 'lai Jeen' or Chinese

style which may be used in making a pair of temple

doors. Here the main carved figure on each door may be

an angel or a mythical figure such as a 'kinnaree', half-

woman, half-bird, surrounded by richly detailed rocks,

flowers, trees and other decorations according to the

carver's inventiveness and skill. For such a work of art he

take him a month to complete.

Today wood carvers are scattered all over Thailand,

but it seems as if this is another ancient skill which — at

any rate in its traditional style — is largely dying out. In

tire of it and make their way like so many others to the

bright lights of Bangkok.

The country's teak forest reserves are dwindling, too

— in some areas at an alarming rate. But there are still

certain areas kept in reserve for supplying teak to be

carved; and with Buddhism as the nation's main religion,

new temples will continue to be built, and old ones re-

paired and renovated. So there will always be a need for

at least some of those talented craftsmen, Thailand's