I would like to invite you to analyze Thai patterns from the Ayutthaya period that have withstood the test of time, transcending the decline and emerging as sought-after export commodities in the present day. This analysis will take place at the National Museum in Bangkok, where Thai art scholars have lauded it as the epitome of the golden age of Ayutthaya art. This collection is famously known as the 'Wat Choeng Wai Family'.
Cultivated is the perception that Thai patterns exist in a solely two-dimensional realm, lacking any sense of shallow or deep depths. However, this notion stands in contrast to reality. An analysis of the pattern adorning the Dharma cabinet at Wat Choeng Wai (illustrated) unveils a different truth. I have deconstructed the elements of the Kranok vine pattern, a central component of this pattern, into distinct parts. This deconstruction challenges the traditional approach to pattern design, setting it apart from other patterns with clear differences.
Through the illustration I've created to demonstrate the interlocking pattern, it becomes evident that the designer's intention was for every Kranok element, along with each section of the ornamentation, to harmoniously intersect with the structure of the patterned vine. This intention stands in contrast to the general arrangement of Kranok patterns, which usually occupy the spaces between the vines (the term 'vines' here refers to the support stems or plant branches, symbolizing the essence of the Thai pattern). These 'vines' establish the framework for the Kranok pattern, creating distinct intervals. As a result, an in-depth study of Thai patterns necessitates a grasp of the structural composition and dimensions within the pattern.