paintings

Gliding majestically down a wide river, the royal boat or suphannahong is a regal sight. Nantana Sompamitre depicts a scene inspired by ancient Thai temple paintings. Depicted in golden foil on lacquered mango wood, it graces a box for business cards.

Pewter daises crown the modern design of this vase by Jaifah Aksornsri. He carves the stand from mango wood and finishes it by painting it black. It is designed to hold a glass tube vase creating a harmonious contrast of textures and colors. The glass tube can be removed.

Gusti Ngurah Semarajaya is a hardworking artisan from Indonesia, seamlessly combining wood carvings with painting. He designs this jewelry box, which is hand-carved from local jempinis wood. He paints the striking image of Bhoma on its surface, a fierce-looking god that is known as lord of the forest and protector of small villages. The box opens to reveal four small compartments that surround one large compartment, all lined with polyester velvet for storing pieces of jewelry. A convenient mirror is on the inside of the lid.

The leaves of the pipal, or sacred fig tree open beneath the midnight moon in this piece of wall art by Thai artist Parinya Nanjai. He hand-paints the design in gleaming silver-tone paint over black, framing the composition with an elegant openwork frame that evokes traditional architecture.

This masterfully carved decorative vase from Sarwaedi of Bali was inspired by the Javanese legend of Naga Baru Klinting. The subtle application of paint and gilded accents give the vase the appearance of a treasured antique.

According to the legend, Baru Klinting was a dragon who promised a sage that he could circle the whole Merapi Volcano in Central Java to prove that he was the sage's son, but failed to do so. The dragon used his tongue instead, which enraged the sage, and the sage swung a sword to cut his tongue. The dragon fell to the earth. Then people living near the volcano cut up the dragon's body and took it home to make a feast. Suddenly, a midget appeared and put a stick in the earth, and said that he would take all of the dragon's meat if no one was capable of removing the stick. People tried because they didn't want to lose their chance for a feast, but none were able to do it. The midget then removed the stick from the ground, and suddenly in that spot water started to flood the whole village, turning the village into a spring that is present to this day. Later on, another sage revealed that the midget was the soul of the dragon, enraged with the people that tried to eat his body.

Golden flames inspired by Thailand's ancient temples form an intricate pattern on a lacquered black picture frame. Nantana Sompamitre's work is aimed at preserving Thailand's kruang-kern (lacquerware) traditions. She uses only natural materials and solutions, and the finished piece reveals a regal beauty.

Up to 26 coats of pure lacquer are applied to mango wood, polished with powdered fired clay, and gilded with a technique called lai rot nam, (watered pattern). Motifs are engraved free-hand and gold leaf is applied.