Sutra cabinet

The many cabinets and chests commissioned and donated to the temples to house the books and manuscripts of the Buddhist faith, are normally richly decorated with scenes and tales ‘painted’ in gold on black lacquer in a technique known as lai rot nam. Viewing these sumptuous cabinets, or tu phra tham, literally cabinet for storing the Dharma (the Buddha’s teachings), one witnesses the same stories, the same mythical creatures and plants, atmosphere and emotions as those conveyed by mural paintings. The art of gold painting on black lacquer plays on the strong contrast between the two materials as in tonal values in painting. Compositions tend to avoid large expanses without decoration favouring busy and intricate backgrounds.