Overview

With over 200 color photographs and helpful commentary Tropical Colors showcases the diverse flower arranging and design of Thailand. Flowers have always been an integral part of the cultural fabric of Thailand and a constant reminder of the country's Buddhist heritage and identity. As in other Asian cultures, flowers are lavishly used in Thailand to mark rituals and rites of passage; they are indispensable in age-old acts of worship, in celebrations, and in daily life. On their way to work, many Thais offer flowers and a heartfelt prayer at wayside shrines. Every day, scores of women at the royal court create floral offerings for the venerated Buddha images in Bangkok's temples and palaces. Thai Airways routinely presents orchid corsages to female passengers. This stunning and refreshingly original book goes beyond the everyday: it elevates flowers from mere floral arrangements to meditative floral ""installations."" Created from a combination of exotic and colorful tropical flowers, plant materials—fibers and leaves from banana plants and coconut trees, culms and twigs from bamboo—and unconventional materials like wire netting, harmoniously blend a strong, usually three-dimensional, structure with the sweet and subtle elements of flowers. The philosophy behind the arrangements, the interiors or occasions for which they are appropriate, and a brief explanation of the techniques and materials employed will inspire readers to create their own artistic arrangements.

Full Product Details

9780794600563

Table of Contents

Reviews

From highly dramatic, large-scale installations to serene pairings where a single stem and complementary vase indicate a complete idea, the book provides a wealth of fresh images ripe for contemplation. <b><i>Booklist</i></b>

From highly dramatic, large-scale installations to serene pairings where a single stem and complementary vase indicate a complete idea, the book provides a wealth of fresh images ripe for contemplation. -- Booklist

From highly dramatic, large-scale installations to serene pairings where a single stem and complementary vase indicate a complete idea, the book provides a wealth of fresh images ripe for contemplation. -- Booklist

Author Information

An engineer turned floral artist, Sakul Intakul is the owner of Sakul Intakul Studio, a design studio, and Sakul Flowers, a flower shop in Bangkok. He is a regular contributor of magazine articles, and he arranges flowers for the Queen of Thailand and many leading hotels and restaurants in Bangkok. Wongvipa Devahastin na Ayudhya was educated at the Rajinee Lyceum, a school sponsored by the royal family in Bangkok, where she learned the Thai arts of flower display and decoration. She is a self-taught interior designer, a skilled gardener, and the co-author of Contemporary Thai.

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