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The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Vol. 30 No. 2 Apr.-Jun. 2005 360 The Influence of Buddhism in Historical Thai Art Thai Folk Art In contrast to classical Thai art, Thai folk art emerged as a genre that is associated with “a wide variety of craft skills and secondarily to an array of distinctive styles” (Phillips, 1992 : 21). Moreover, it is widely practised in various social settings and often for both decorative and functional purposes. According to Phillips (1992) and other Thai art historians, Thai folk art encompasses the production of many different forms and qualities of weaving, ceramics, jewelry, silver and gold work, wood carvings, stucco work, lacquerware, vegetable and fruit carvings, lathe turnings, papier- mâché fabrications, flower decora- tions, leatherwork, nilloware and mother of pearl mosaics. In terms of the numbers of practitioners and the development of regional and local traditions, it is the most widespread, highly ramified, deeply rooted, and heavily patronized of Thailand’s artistic genres (Phillips, 1992 : 20). Thai folk art has also been associated with Buddhism. However, whereas classical Thai art portrays Buddhist and traditional values, Thai folk art is more elementary in its decorative and functional values. These can be found in utilitarian items such as food and garment containers, house supports, clothes, swords, buffalo yokes, manuscript cabinets, betel-nut boxes, etc. Figure 6 The Buddha Shakaya- muni in Parileyyaka Forest, Rattanakosin Period (1822 - 1853); bronze, lacquer, gold leaf, coloured glass; 155 cm. Figure 5 Details of a mural at the corridor of Wat Phra Kaew in the Grand Palace. Phillips (1992) suggested fur- ther that the elaborately drawn deco- rative elements from the folk tradi- tion, as seen on the windows, doors, gables, pillars and ceilings of most of Thailand’s Buddhist temples, are meant to beautify and reinforce the sacredness of the temple environment. Figure 7 shows a re- stored facade of a nineteenth century temple gable with folk mosaic work and spiral vines surrounding a “godling” from the Buddhist pan- theon. Classical Thai art involves mainly the expression of sacredness and religious representation and, although Thai folk art was not formed to serve Buddhist iconography, it is related with classical art in the way that its elements were frequently Figure 7 A detail from a templeûs gable shows some of the decorative work in Thai traditional art style.