BANGKOK, Thailand – Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother revitalized many traditional Thai arts and crafts that were at risk of fading away without being preserved. Throughout more than seven decades, Her Majesty devoted her time and energy to carrying on and fostering the nation’s arts and cultural heritage across all aspects. The Foundation for the Promotion of Supplementary Occupations and Related Techniques (SUPPORT Foundation), established by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit in 1967, has trained hundreds of thousands of villagers in traditional Thai arts and crafts and revived several items of cultural heritage that might have been lost, such as silk weaving, gold nielloware, Yan Lipao wickerwork, and carving.
In addition, Her Majesty also gave a new lease of life to the Khon masked dance drama. The Queen instructed craftspeople in the creation of Khon costumes and accessories in accordance with the ancient style, while developing Khon performances into an art form that was more modern and suitable for the new era. Since 2007, at the command of Her Majesty, the SUPPORT Foundation has organized Khon performances on a continual basis at the Thailand Cultural Center in Bangkok. This performing art is now poised to strive and thrive into the future. In recognition of Her Majesty’s great contributions toward preserving, promoting, reviving, developing, and protecting folk arts and crafts as Thailand’s cultural heritage, the Ministry of Culture presented Her Majesty with the title of the “Pre-eminent Protector of Arts and Crafts,” on the occasion of her 80th birthday anniversary, 12 August 2012, stating that Her Majesty’s contributions to arts and crafts were evident and recognized in both Thailand and overseas. (PRD)
