BRUSSELS, Belgium – The Manneken-Pis, a small bronze statue in Brussels that represents a small naked boy urinating into a fountain’s basin, has recently been dressed in Thai costume.
The Ambassador of Thailand to Belgium, Kanchana Patarachoke, along with the embassy’s diplomats, recently attended the ceremony to present the Thai costume “Spot the Rabbit, Pick the Flower” to the Manneken-Pis, an initiative of the Office of Commercial Affairs in Brussels and Thailand’s Department of Intellectual Property, in collaboration with the City of Brussels and the Association of Friends of Manneken-Pis. During the procession from the Hôtel de Ville to the statue, the Harmonie Royale des Finances played the national anthem of Thailand, the national anthem of Belgium, and “Maharoek”, a Thai composition to mark this auspicious occasion.
The “Spot the Rabbit, Pick the Flower” costume is designed and tailored by Shon Puipia, a Thai designer. His creativity weaves themes of gender fluidity and social inclusivity of Thai culture into his contemporary designs. The costume is made from Lampoon brocade silk and Mae Jam Jok cotton fabric, both local fabrics with Geographical Indications (GIs), showcasing Thailand’s local heritage with a modern twist, while improving the quality of life and livelihoods of local producers of those products. The costume is also considered a gift from the people of Thailand and the Thai communities in Belgium, reaffirming the strong people-to-people contact.
“Spot the Rabbit, Pick the Flower” is the second costume from Thailand presented to the Manneken-Pis. The first costume was gifted in 1995, featuring a uniform of Thai civil servants (Raja Pattern). The costume will be kept in the collection of the GardeRobe MannekenPis museum. (PRD)
