Ramayana murals at the Grand Palace

Hanuman fighting fish

The cloisters that define the perimeter of the Emerald Buddha Temple at the Grand Palace complex, Bangkok, are decorated with extensive murals depicting scenes from the Thai version of the Ramayana. The Mural has 178 scenes, which illustrate the complete epic story of Ramayana sequentially, in a clockwise direction starting at the north gate, covering the entire wall. In Thailand, the Ramayana epic is known as Ramakian or Ramakien. It is not in any sense a direct descendant of the Valmiki Ramayana recorded in Sanskrit. It is simply another of the many versions of the story. In addition to the Sanskrit tradition, it is influenced by Sri Lankan, Khmer, Burmese, and many other versions. The tales of the Ramakien are similar to those of the Ramayana, though there are a few differences. Names of characters, way of life, food, dress, weapons etc are all based on Thai culture. Ravana, the demon king, who is known as Tosakanth in Thai version of Ramayana is stripped of some evil characteristics and there are verses that make people sympathize with him. There are also some characters in Ramakien that are not part of the original Ramayana.

Animal netsuke from the British Museum

Cat biting into tail of a dried salmon

These miniature Japanese sculptures amaze with precision of work, small details, lively images and elegance. Originally netsuke was invented with purely domestic purpose: a Japanese traditional kimono costume did not have pockets but men who wore them needed a place to store their personal belongings, such as pipes, tobacco, money, seals, or medicines. These things were put in small bags or boxes and hung by cords from a wide obi sash. So that the bag might not slide off, a counterweight was hung at the other end of the cord. And to match the elegance of the dress, this fastener had to be a neat little piece of art. So there came netsuke.