War Soldier Costume

Soldier costumes of the Lanna period were initially influenced by a cultural mixed of the ancient northern e.g. Chiangtung,Lanchang, Chiangrung and later by China. The fabrics of the uniforms were distinctly marked with ancient ink inscriptions and they were held as sort of talisman. The practice was associated from Buddhism and/or spiritual belief and it helped boost the soldiers’ morale as they wore the uniforms out to confront the enemies during battles or just simply as a token of good fortune.

Weaponry

Sword-making is an art form. One cannot create quality sword solely from the right forging technique alone. Every detail from sourcing the right raw materials, purification of require minerals and controlling the right temperatures during forging all play the part. When I adjust the temperature of the oven, I do not rely on any sophisticated equipment. Instead, I will use my naked eyes to gauge the color of the flame i.e. the right hues indicate the right temperature

Wood Carving

I called my creation here “Ramayana Series – Hanuman Crossing the River”. We use a rare piece of golden teakwood which was salvaged a very oldtraditional Thai house. The trick of getting the design right is make sure that each stroke I create ends with a real smooth end, something you expect when you draw with a paint brush. So whenever you touch on the carving, you will feel the design flowing smoothly and the image it created come alive. You need to come and see for yourself, in order to feel it.

Painting

Shinnabhura is more than a hotel. It is kind of private gallery of cultural arts and historical archives from all the lower regions of northern Thailand. The architectural design of the buildings, the paintings, the sculptures or the statues are very impressively created in such as way that it touches upon our inner soul, pride and heritage of who we are. This region has its days of hardship and war, yet our ancestors had contributed so much in our cultures and arts, including our revered and much respected Phra Buddha Chinnarat. These paintings you see here may be trivial, as compared to the overall grandeur of the whole property, but they will help the visitors, or the guests appreciate more, as they understand the roots and foundation of everything here.

Sculpture

Buddha Statue: Phra Buddha-Trilok-Dilokraj, The large statue is inaugurated to be the principal figure of the museum and the hotel establishment.The artist creating the statue was in spired by the war between the 2 opposing kingdoms of Lanna and Ayudhaya which lasted for 25 years and nobody had any benefits. He designs the statue in the protecting “Pang Ham Samut” pose, with the Buddha standing upright, with both hands raised, all fingers pointing upwards and havingthe palms facing out. The posture portrays the symbolic gesturesto stop the 2 warring sides (Ayudhaya & Lanna) from more fightings. The face is created to resemble Phra Buddha Chinsri,while the body is draped in manastric robe, signifying the status of the presiding King over the 2 kingdoms.

Stucco

Inside the hotel, you will be able to see decorative stucco on the 2 main arch doors entering into the hotel ground. One set depicts the architectural design from the Lanna period, while the other set from Ayudhaya. You can see the difference between the 2 almost instantly. The distinctive bolder design will be from Ayudhaya, where as the Lanna design will look more elegant and subtle.