Grand Palace: the Origin of Rattanakosin-period Art and the Royal Court

Abstract

The artistic creations within the Grand Palace were commissioned by royal command and executed by court artisans, serving as a focal point of national prosperity during the Rattanakosin period. These works embody distinctive aesthetic qualities, exceptional beauty, and cultural significance that are unmatched by any other artistic sources. Each piece was created with a functional and ceremonial purpose, intimately connected to royal rites and traditions of the era. Moreover, the art and architecture within the Grand Palace reflect profound religious concepts concerning the institution of monarchy. Central to these are the notions of Devaraja (the divine king), Chakravartin (the universal monarch), and the ancient cosmological belief in the king as the axis mundi—the center of the universe. These ideas are deeply rooted in religious doctrines and are inherently linked to the political and administrative framework of Thailand, wherein the monarch has been the sovereign head from the past to the present.