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Chiang Mai Arts & Crafts
When speaking of about Chiang Mai, one must consider, along with the everyday necessities, the many handicrafts that are part of the city's history. Made with workmanship skill that have been passed down from generation to generation, these beautiful crafts are a good representation of Chiang Mai's proud Lanna heritage. |
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Chiang Mai is an Asian hub for handicrafts and art, and many wholesale agents come here to purchase large quantities of Thai crafts and have them shipped home. In fact there is a well-established infrastructure here, with many sourcing and shipping agents advertising themselves in the local tourist magazines. However, there is so much choice and such value for money that it's difficult to know where to begin your procuring.
Chiang Mai has been the home of Thai artisans and the kingdom's centre of art and crafts for centuries. The Chiang Mai Arts and Culture Festival offer a diverse and fascinating cultural showcase of traditional Thai art and craft, and handicrafts.
Chiang Mai is further characterized by being one of the world's largest centers of cottage industries. Numerous handicrafts are traditional to the region and craftsmen, using skills passed down from generation to generation, continue to produce marvels like silverware, lacquerware, celadon pottery, silk and cotton, hand-painted paper umbrellas and more. Here is a true shopper's paradise and there is plenty of scope for browsing for unusual gifts and souvenirs. But buying is not all, and just as thrilling are visits to workshops, even whole villages devoted to handicrafts, like Bo Sang, to see the crafts in the making.
Chiang Mai is a major centre of furniture making. Major woods and materials include teak, rosewood and rattan. Items may be unadorned or, especially with teak and rosewood, artfully carved in traditional or modern designs. Woodcarving is a traditional northern Thai art featured in numerous temples. In recent years, wood carving has increasingly embellished furniture, gracing screens, chairs, tables, beds, indeed anything bearing a wooden surface large enough to be carved. Carved elephants, figurines and tableware number among other popular purchases.
Chiang Mai is a major centre of Thailand’s pottery industry. Prized items include the distinctive, single-coloured celadon. Celadon, with its inimitable, finely cracked glaze, is produced in numerous forms that include dinner sets, lamp bases and general decorative items.
When it comes to buying wholesale Thai arts and crafts. There are, not surprisingly, many wholesale agents in town. Chiangmai has, for many years, been the centre for Thai arts and crafts - and for good reason. There is a long established tradition here of hand skills, and the locals are exceptionally gifted and patient at creating superb pieces. Choose from hand-woven silk, to rattan furniture, woodcarvings, neilloware, pewter, silversmithery, embroidery, and exquisitely detailed souvenirs, such as the famous 'sa' paper umbrellas that add a splash of colour to the brochures of this wonderful tourist city.
In recent years, more contemporary, or foreign wares have found their way into the workshops of Chiangmai's handicraft artisans, such as incense and oils, spa accessories, soaps, tableware, and an impressive array of home décor, influenced by the gifted styles of young university graduates. In fact, the Thai have a knack for aesthetics.
The biggest draw card of all however, is the price. The prices at which these goods are available are astonishing, to the point of sympathy. However, the cost of living here is cheap and those who create these wholesale Thai arts and crafts are fairly remunerated and live satisfactorily. Of course, bargaining is normal here and if you are inexperienced, you may end up paying double what you should.
This is when it pays to have a good local agent to take you around - someone who knows the value-for-money places and is skilled at negotiating (in Thai) with the suppliers. By buying wholesale, prices become far more favourable. They can also help you take care of all the red tape involved here when it comes to shipping your orders home, or re-ordering from your home country.
The following are a few of the places which we recommend while you are in Chiang Mai:
Hand-painted Umbrellas
The village of Bosang just outside Chiang Mai on the Sankampaeng road, has been making its painted handmade umbrellas for the more than 200 years. Nobody knows why umbrellas are found in this particular village or from where the craft originated, although it is widely speculated that the skill originated in China, and was brought to Chiangmai. Bosang produces beautifully painted umbrellas made from local Saa paper and bamboo to protect against the sun, rather than the rain.
Where to Find: Go by yourself, just south of the city, or take a tour of all the handicraft villages.
Saa Paper
Made from the bark of a local tree, Saa paper makes great gifts. Used as an umbrella covering, for painting, lanterns and stationery products, the paper comes in many colours and is meticulously made by hand. Bark is taken from the Saa tree and boiled for around three hours, then pounded with large wooden mallets against tree stumps until it becomes mush. After pounding it is thrown into large concrete vats and stirred with long bamboo poles until flakes rise to the surface. These flakes are lifted out with blue screens on wood frames. Each screen measures approximately 1 1/2 by 2 feet and the flakes settle on the screen while the water runs through. The screens are then set in the sunlight to dry producing wonderfully textured paper.
Where to Find: Visit the "factory" where the paper is produced at the Bosang handicraft centre on the outskirts south of Chiang Mai City.
Lanna Textiles
Lanna textiles are a specialized group of fabrics and designs created in northern Thailand. Traditional Lanna fabric and clothing are much different from what we see in the West. Lanna garments are not cut and seamed, but rather they are squares and rectangles of fabric that are folded, tucked or joined in other ways. Within the squares and rectangles are various designs, borders and embroidery.
Where to Find: Styles and designs vary depending on which ethnic group has produced them and the motifs will identify a clan or village. You can buy textiles at any handicraft shops in Chiang Mai and the Night Bazaaron Chanklan road.
Thai Lacquerware
Chiang Mai is probably best known for its traditional Gold-Leaf Lacquerware. Patterns are traditional northern Thai art forms and are still made with great care at some of Chiang Mai's oldest Lacquerware centres. The process was originally brought to northern Thailand by the Tai Khern people of Chiang Toong, Burma, a few hundred years ago and is now one of Chiangmai's leading crafts. Bamboo is used as the base wood for many of the high quality Lacquerware items while other woods like Mango are used for lower quality pieces.
Where to Find: Sankampaeng, or Hang Dong just south of Chiangmai on Highway 108, shows this special northern Thai cottage industry with all the various designs and styles of Lacquerware in factories on both sides of the road.
Ceramics - Celadon
Celadon, with its delicate green and blue tones, has long been produced in the North. The blending of local clays and wood ash to make the distinctive glazes has been passed from one generation to another for centuries. Siam Celadon & Tea House at 158 Tapae Road, a magnificently restored, wooden mansion specialises in Celadon pottery.
Silverware
A traditional art, silversmithing in Chiang Mai began centuries ago along Wualai Road, an area still known as the Silver village producing many traditional silver items such as trays, bowls, and boxes.
Where to Find: Wualai Road and the Sankampaeng area.
Hilltribe Crafts
The area around Chiangmai is home to a number of different hilltribes with their own customs and crafts who produce beautifully crafted silver jewellry, colourful embroideries and hand-woven textiles.
Art and Collectibles
Thaphae Road is one of the places to find collectibles like Tribal and primitive art from around the region; Tibetan ceremonial textiles, Yao priest silk embroideries, Sipsong Panna paintings and other fascinating finds. Custom made silver and gold jewelry using with precious and semi precious stones is also a good buy here.
Silk
Renowned Thai silk has a wonderfully lustrous quality but is more suitable for tailored garments rather flowing gowns. Many shops offer competitive prices depending on the weight texture of the garment.
Gold Plated Orchids & Butterflies
Orchids and butterflies are Preserved and plated with 24-carat gold to create unusual gift items such as necklace pendants, hairpins and earrings.
Clothes etc., Head to the vast Central Airport Plaza on the airport road for local deals Popular with Thai teens the fashion outlets here often include western sizes. Lanna Village - a new attraction, has several floors of handicrafts, interior design products and souvenirs at almost night market prices.
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