Jim Thompson House Museum is a museum located in the modern Pathum Wan
district of Bangkok, Thailand.
It was built in the 1950s by American businessman and adventurer Jim Thompson,
who aimed to revive the Thai silk industry, then in decline.
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Entrance to the house from the canal.
Jim Thompson's house sits on a canal (klong) Saen Saep across from
Bangkrua, where his company's weavers were then located.
- The terrace and the boat landing is north of the house.
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Jim Thompson House Plan.
The museum was planned to consist of a complex combination of six
traditional Thai-style houses, primarily constructed of wood, and
various old Thai structures that were collected from all parts of
Thailand in the 1950s and 1960s.
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East end of the house.
The east end of the house is occupied by the Bencharong Room.
- Bencharong porcelain ware is a kind of painted Thai ceramics.
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While the name literally means "five colours," it is a figurative
description and actual decoration can have anywhere between three and
eight colours.
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For the decoration, repetitive forms, usually geometric or
flower-based, are used. A design is usually named after the decoration
base name and a background color (for example, Phum Kao Bin on dark
blue).
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See more at
Benjarong - Wikipedia.
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Gardens surrounding the house.
One of the highlights of a visit to the Jim Thompson Museum is the
opportunity to explore the lush gardens that surround the house.
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The gardens are filled with a variety of plants and flowers, including
lotus ponds and bamboo groves, and offer a peaceful respite from the
bustling city outside.
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Garden pond.
Typical Thai garden with a fountain and a small pond.
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Entering the house museum.
The entrance to the house museum is through a porch at the east end of
the house.
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Everyday from 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM with the last guided tour at 5.00
PM.
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The tours are provided in English, French, Japanese, Chinese and Thai.
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Standing stone Dvaravati Buddha statue.
“Clothed in the robe of a monk, the Buddha held a flap of the robe in
his left hand. The gentle outline of the hips give a remarkable
impression of movement.” Dvaravadi School, dating from the late 7th or
8th century AD, found at Lopburi Province in Central Thailand.
- Dvaravati art is a form of artistic work originating from Mon.
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Dvaravati flourished from the Dvaravati Mon ancient artifacts are in
present-day Thailand and Burma, Mon states to the west in southern
Myanmar (Burma) and with the Mon state in northern Thailand.
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Dvaravati art came into form around the 6th century by the Mon
communities as part of numerous minor kingdoms that existed in
Thailand.
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See more at
Dvaravati art - Wikipedia.
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Thai mythical creature inside a wooden cabinet.
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House interior.
The residence is built on teak pillars, a full floor above the ground.
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Since Thompson disappearance in 1967, little has changed in the home
that was the “talk of the town”.
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Paintings suspended next to the stairs.
The Buddha's history drawing on the second floor can also be seen from
the ground floor hall.
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Mara, his lustful daughters, and demonic army, attempting to tempt
Buddha.
Mara, in Buddhism, is a malignant celestial king who tried to stop
Prince Siddhartha from achieving Enlightenment by trying to seduce him
with his celestial Army and the vision of beautiful women who, in
various legends, are often said to be Mara's daughters.
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First floor with paintings hanging on the walls.
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Khmer Vishnu with princely sampot.
The man’s body is bare chested and he wears an ornate and finely-worked
sampot held in place by a golden belt of worked metal.
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The quality of the fine and regular pleats deserves attention, as do
the details of the belt, completed by a double anchor motif. This one
is especially long, reaching the low border of the sampot and
indicating that this piece belongs to the most classical period of
Khmer stylistic experimentation.
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The slim-waisted chest represents an idealised Image which indicates a
plastic quest for perfection, unhesitatingly distancing itself from
reality to attain the perfect beauty of the gods.
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Vishnu iconography such as statues and etchings have been found in
archaeological sites of Southeast Asia, now predominantly of the
Theravada Buddhist tradition. In Thailand, for example, statues of
four-armed Vishnu have been found in provinces near Malaysia and dated
to be from the 4th to 9th-century, and this mirror those found in
ancient India.
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See more at
Vishnu Theravada Buddhism - Wikipedia.
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Shiva.
Shiva, Khmer, 12th century AD, sandstone.
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Indian Buddhist sources depict a stage of the development of Indian
Mahayana Buddhism in which Vishnu (along with Shiva) was being
assimilated into a supreme universal form of Avalokitesvara which is
similar to the Hindu concept of Visvarupa.
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See more at
Avalokiteśvara - Wikipedia
and
Vishvarupa - Wikipedia.
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Uma, consort of Shiva.
Uma, consort of Shiva, Khmer, 12th century AD, sandstone.
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Parvati, Uma or Gauri is the Hindu goddess of power, energy,
nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood.
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In her complete form, she is a physical representation of Mahadevi,
also known as Adi Shakti, the primordial power behind the creation of
the universe, the creator and destroyer.
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Parvati is the wife of the Shiva, one of the main deities of Hinduism.
She is the reincarnation of Sati, the first wife of Shiva who
immolated herself during a yajna (fire-sacrifice).
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See more at
Parvati - Wikipedia.
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Statue of the Buddha meditating on the Naga.
Buddha meditating on the Naga. ”The thoughtful face, with closed eyes,
reveals this to be an example of the Bayon art.” Lopburi School, 13th
century AD.
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Drawing Room.
In niches in the walls are statues of Burmese Nats spirits.
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Nats are spirits venerated in Burma (Union of Myanmar) since very
ancient times, in parallel with Buddhism.
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They are divided between 37 Great Nats and all the others (deities of
water, trees, home, etc.)
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Most of the 37 Great Nats are human beings who have experienced a
violent death.
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See more at
Nat (deity) - Wikipedia.
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Bust of Buddha in the West Studio.
Bust of Buddha in brown limestone. “The wide face with a strong nose and
fleshy lips, round eyes and arched and joined eyebrows are very
characteristic of the Dvaravadi school.”
- Dvaravadi School, 8th century AD.
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Buddha statue with two disciples in the West Studio.
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Kinnara group in the West Studio.
A kinnara is a creature from Hindu and Buddhist mythology. They are
described as part human and part bird, and have a strong association
with music and love. Believed to come from the Himalayas, they often
watch over the well-being of humans in times of trouble or danger.
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The kinnari, usually spelt 'kinnaree', in Thai literature originates
from India, but was modified to fit in with the Thai way of thinking.
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The Thai kinnari is depicted as a young woman wearing an angel-like
costume.
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The lower part of the body is similar to a bird, and should enable her
to fly between the human and the mystical worlds.
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See more at
Kinnara: Thailand - Wikipedia.
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Bird-shaped candlestick in the West Studio.
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Wooden statue of Phra Mae Thorani.
Vasundhara or Dharani is a chthonic goddess from Buddhist mythology of
Theravada in Southeast Asia.
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Images of Phra Mae Thorani are common in shrines and Buddhist temples
of Burma, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos.
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According to Buddhist myths, Phra Mae Thorani is personified as a
young woman wringing the cool waters of detachment out of her hair to
drown Mara, the demon sent to tempt Gautama Buddha as he meditated
under the Bodhi Tree.
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See more at
Phra Mae Thorani - Wikipedia.
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Temple screen in wood in the Bedroom.
Temple screen in wood, covered with dark green glass mosaic which was
originally inlaid with 450 little buddha ornaments outlined in gold
glass.
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Miniature temple in the Bedroom.
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Phra Phrom head.
Phra Phrom is the Thai representation of the Hindu creator god Brahma.
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In modern Thailand, Phra Phrom is often worshipped outside of Hindu
contexts by regular Buddhists, and, like many other Hindu deities, has
usually come to represent guardian spirits in Thai animist beliefs,
which coexist alongside Buddhist practices.
- He is regarded as the deity of good fortune and protection.
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See more at
Phra Phrom - Wikipedia.
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Temporary exhibition room.
In addition to the permanent collection, the museum also hosts temporary
exhibitions on a variety of topics, such as traditional Thai arts and
crafts, modern art, and cultural exchange.
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Spirit house.
A spirit house is a shrine to the protective spirit of a place that is
found in the Southeast Asian countries of Burma, Cambodia, Laos,
Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
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They are normally in the form of small roofed structure mounted on a
pillar or a dais, and can range in size from small platforms to houses
large enough for people to enter.
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Spirit houses are intended to provide a shelter for spirits that could
cause problems for the people if not appeased.
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They often include images or carved statues of people and animals.
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Votive offerings are left at them to propitiate the spirits; more
elaborate installations include an altar for this purpose.
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Spirit houses are known as nat sin or nat kun in
Burmese; san phra phum, 'house of the guardian spirit' in Thai;
and rean preah phum, 'shrine for the guardian-spirit' or
rean taveda in Khmer.
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See more at
Spirit house - Wikipedia.
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More spirit houses near Jim Thompson House Museum.
In Thailand it is a long-standing tradition to leave offerings of food
and drink at the spirit house.
- Rice, bananas, coconuts, and desserts are common offerings.
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See also
Source
Location
