Lanna Crafts VII

Lanna Cultures & Traditions (cont.):

Mores are developed from Moralities which are about sentiment of each human being or each community on right or wrong actions depending on conscience of individual or group. For Lanna Mores, there are many of them as follows:

Picture of flower offerings called
Baai Sri

- Pid-pee is about the sexual harassment of young people from “touching or holding one’s hands” to “lose one’s virginity”. Lanna people consider this manner as wrong or irreverent against ancestors’ spirits and/or household spirits. The pid-pee family will get penalty from the spirits by illness or various disasters. If two families can be negotiable to let both living as a couple, there will be a process called ‘Sai-pee’ or ‘Sier-pee’ which allow the man side to ask for forgiveness by giving candles, flowers, money and other offerings to the spirits.

- Pid-reed or Pid-heet refers to distinct activities from family’s or community’s traditions, such as changing the date of village spirit ceremony from Songkran’s festival to another month, or changing the strict spirits’ offerings from chicken to be convenient dry food or noodle, etc. Pid-reed might effect to get any disaster to that person or to that city.

- The other significant bad mores are: the wrong or bad activities against the moralities, such as incest or destruction of human being, not taking care of parents, etc. called Pid-Clong, the irreverent or non-respect to teacher called Pid-Croo, the inappropriate actions when entering into the forest, such as bad words, speaking as bad omen, etc. called Pid-Pa, the violating the village’s rules or city’s rules, such as cutting down the main tree of village, urging people to killing or schism, etc. called Pid-Baan and Pid-Muang, respectively. All these bad mores might lead to the ruin, disaster, unfortunate, distress or anxiety to the person, family or city.

Today recommended Crafts/Handmade Products:

Carnelian Cluster Earrings,
'Chiang Rai Feast'

- ‘Carnelian Cluster Earrings, 'Chiang Rai Feast'’, from NOVICA*, crafted by hand threading carnelians, dyed blue resin and glass beads with silk core. They rest over purple dyed quartz in earrings that hang from .925 sterling silver hooks.

*NOVICA: who works in association with National Geographic, searches the world to work directly with the finest artisan designers.

Keychain bag decoration

- ‘Keychain bag decoration', keychain bag decoration make from pompom, dimensions: 8.00" h x 2.00" w x 8.00" l, .22 pounds.

(To be continued)

Lanna Crafts VI

Lanna Cultures & Traditions:

Along with the long history of Lanna Kingdom, its remarkable cultures & traditions are also presented via Lanna Crafts or Handmade Products.

Picture of Sky Lantern or Floating Lantern called
Khom Loy (Thai word) especially in
Yee Peng festival

In present day, even many races or communities of people inhabit Lanna area in northern of Thailand; people from Bangkok or other parts of Thailand, foreigners from USA, Europe, India, Arab, etc., but the original Lanna people still inherit the Lanna cultures & traditions from their ancestors by performing in their day-life, beliefs, rituals, traditions and arts.

Lanna cultures and traditions are adopted from many groups of their ancestors, i.e. Lua, Man, Mon, Meng, Tai, Tai Lue, Lanchang, Haripunchai, Sipsongpanna and Burmese. During 216 years under Burmese rule, Lanna people were captured to Burma many times whom including monks and craftmen (goldsmith, sculptor, lacquer ware maker, etc.). On the contrary, Burmese people and other communities were also captured to Lanna whenever Lanna Kingdom was in strong periods. The cultural & traditional trends were acculturated and transferred between them as river tides.

As we can see the Burmese cultures in many temples of Lanna, for example, Wat San Fang in Chiang Mai, Wat Sri Chum in Lampang, etc. Burmese craftmen also inherit Lanna cultures, as now there are still special carving pattern called Chiang Mai pattern and Ayutthaya pattern in Burma (Myanmar).

Today recommended Crafts/Handmade Products:

LK Atelier "Chiang Mai" 
Sterling Silver 
Hoop Earrings

- ‘LK Atelier "Chiang Mai" Sterling Silver Hoop Earrings’, stylish and wearable. They are the perfect hoop earrings, hammered finish creates sparkling effect evocative of a Thai temple's shimmering roof, simple and elegant; great for day to evening. A handmade tribute to the beauty and spirituality of Northern Thailand's capital city, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Cotton table runner,
Millenary Black Lanna

- ‘Cotton table runner, Millenary Black Lanna’, from NOVICA*, Lanna's millenary artistry inspires Kanjana in the design of this black table runner. Sewn of cotton, the runner features the harmonious encounter between classic Thai brocade with a speckled composition. The table runner is decorated with pompoms, tassels and glass beads in a festive palette of purple, green, yellow, red, blue and orange hues. Dry in the shade, lay flat to dry, hand wash separately in cold water.

*NOVICA: who works in association with National Geographic, searches the world to work directly with the finest artisan designers.

(To be continued)