In Thai, the word Chaak can be used to describe a kind of portable or foldable panel or screen that has a number of uses. It can be set up to block the view of something not intended to be seen or used as a divider to temporarily break up a large area _ a very big room in a Thai-style house, for example _ into smaller ones. When this temporary subdivision of space is no longer needed, the Chaak can be removed and stored.
At Thai cremations where, in their traditional form, the remains were set on an open platform, a Chaak was put in place so that mourners were spared the sight of the corpse being given to the flames.
Then Chaak placed on a Phra Merumas or Phra Meru is a screen of the same kind, but has a special name, Chaak Bang Phloeng. It is placed at the top of the stairs that climb up the structure, and also functions as a doorway. It is opened to admit the King, Queen and royal relatives, as well as officials whose duties require them to be inside, and closed when the traditional ceremonies have been completed.
There are no firm rules stating how wide or high the Chaak Bang Phloeng should be: It depends on the design of the Phra Merumas or Phra Meru. But it must be made in a way that permits it to be used without any difficulty, and that is appropriate from the artistic standpoint.
For ease of use, the Chaak Bang Phloeng is divided into two halves, each made up of two equally-sized panels that can be folded back. To open the way into the Phra Merumas or Phra Meru, the two halves are folded back against pillars that stand on either side, and are folded out again to close it.
The artistic beauty of the Chaak Bang Phloeng is expressed partly by the division of each panel horizontally into three sections, with the middle one larger than the others. Each is ornamented with an image from traditional Thai art, with the subject dependent on the preference of the artist and the designer of the Phra Merumas or Phra Meru.
Since the Chaak Bang Phloeng was usually kept closed, the image on it generally expressed reverence for the exalted status of the deceased. It also had to complement and harmonise with the style and structure of the Phra Merumas or Phra Meru.
On the Chaak Bang Phloeng made for the cremation of King Rama V, the two central panels each show an angel standing on a cloud and making a gesture of reverence. In the lower panels beneath each of them is the image of a Garuda grabbing a Naga in its clutches, while the panels to the left and right of the main central images show groups of angels in flight with Indra and Siva presiding in the centre.
The artwork on the Chaak Bang Phra Phloeng for the cremation of King Rama VI depicts four fNaksitwithathon (angels who possess great knowledge), male and female angels, and giants, with seated humans making gestures of reverence.
At the cremation of the late Princess Mother, the images on the four main, middle panels each showed an angel standing on an altar holding a bladed weapon called a Phra Khan. Above it were elaborately stylised designs, the upper ones including the crystal lanterns called Khom Fai Aj Ja Klap, the lower ones showing a lotus motif.
Four Chaak Bang Phloeng have been made for the cremation of HRH the late Princess Galyani Vadhana, one for each of the four entryways to the Phra Meru. As each of the four Chaak consists of four folding panels, there are a total of 16 surfaces. They are designed so that the largest surfaces are painted with images of celestial beings in flight. Two angels that appear in one of the paintings hold Khruang Sueng, while two other angels that appear on a panel play musical instruments.The Khruang Sueng are ceremonial items that indicate the exalted status of the King, Queen and Royal Family. They can include, for example, multi-tiered umbrellas (Chat). If a monarchy rules territories or colonies that extend in all four directions, this is indicated by four chats. But since the presence of four separate chats create a feeling of clutter, they are placed on top of each other on a single pole, the largest on the bottom and the other three in decreasing size above it. The king himself is represented by an additional chat, totalling five.
But the five-tiered umbrella is the commonest form of Royal Khruang Sueng, and can be carried by lower-ranking members of the Royal Family. The parents and siblings of the King are entitled to a seven-tiered umbrella, and the King himself to one with nine tiers.
Other types of Khruang Sueng include two kinds of sunshades, the Bang Saek and the larger Bang Soon. The Pad Boke (Long-handled Fan) is a stylised fan, and the Ja Morn (Lesser Sunshade) is another kind of fan-like item for chasing away insects. Finally, there is the Phra Klod, a wide parasol similar to the ones used to shield new monks from the sun during ordination ceremonies.
These are the Khruang Sueng seen in the hands of all of the angels.
The musical instruments held by the other angels are all of types used to play traditional Thai music, and include four kinds: Instruments with plucked strings, with bowed strings, percussion instruments and wind instruments.
The panels above and below those depicting these celestial beings are smaller. The upper ones show winding designs encircling khom fai aj ja klap. The symbolism of these images is the bestowing of happiness and knowledge upon the Kingdom's people.
The lower panels show flowers of a kind called dawk kaew kalaya, with petals resembling those of the fragrant white blossom called dawk kaew (Murraya exotica) in Thai, except that they are indigo. The Princess made this flower the symbol of the disabled, whom she helped and supported. The flowers are painted using the stylisation of classical Thai art.
These are the main features of the Chaak Bang Phloeng that will be placed at the entrances of the Phra Meru on this occasion.
