How a group of calligraphers breathed new life into the Constitution

[rooster59]

How a group of calligraphers breathed new life into the Constitution

By WASAMON AUDJARINT
THE NATION

 

Calligrapher Warothai Rainhatthakam, front, puts the final touches on a royal letter.

 

IT WAS five in the morning. Cups of coffee and containers of Rotring ink were being filled up, one after another. Calligraphers started their days, and ended their nights, penning all details and bits of the 2017 Constitution on sheets of 120-gsm paper, soon to be assembled as traditional Thai folding books.

 

This was the 20th charter that Thailand has seen since its first in 1932. Time may have gone by, but the legacy of this writing art has stayed despite many changes in a calligraphy room of the Bureau of Royal Scribe and Royal Decoration to the Cabinet Secretariat.

 

From generation to generation, calligraphers have passed on a unique Rattanakosin-style script to pen royal documents, from letters to foreign sovereigns, the appointment of Buddhist monks, to the highest law of the Kingdom.

 

“It took us five years of training to get to write a whole single paper,” said Bundasak Siharat. The 49-year-old calligrapher has done this for 25 years.

“During those five years, our job was to add some vowels and to fix some points in the documents.

 

“We were deliberately selected before being given the job,” Bundasak said. “But that didn’t mean we could avoid the long training. The goal is to ensure that our handwriting represents the royal will, [that] it will be neatest – and also identical.”

 

Bundasak was right. Looking at a copy of the handwritten 2017 Charter, one would have found it hard to believe that the letters, with orderly gaps, were not printed by a machine. This took months of works, involving nine calligraphers. All together, they three folding-books with 279 Articles written.

 

Traditionally, the three copies are kept separately to ensure that the country’s highest law is safe under all circumstance. They are currently under care of the Palace, the Parliament and the Secretariat of the Cabinet.

 

It seemed like huge piece of work. The seniormost calligrapher, Suvanchai Nontasant, confirmed that this charter was the biggest task of his 33-year writing career. He has now helped write four constitutions – in 1991, 1997, 2007 and 2017.

 

“It was my devotion to writing and the monarchy that attracted me to work here for so long,” Suvanchai said, giving a last touch of ink to a royal document he was working on.

 

Similar thoughts were also shared by his much-younger colleague.

 

“Patience is a charm in calligraphy,” said Worathai Rianhattakam, 33, who has served the Bureau for eight years.

 

“It’s also an honour that my written works are signed by the King,” he said.

 

While a love of fine letters and the monarchy are common traits in the calligraphers, they also share contented and simple-yet-devoted lives. While Worathai came across this path as a fine arts graduate, others spent much of their early days as monks, disciplining themselves with archaic language and traditional writing. 

 

The calligraphers work usual office hours on usual days. But once the constitution comes, they toil for long hours. “I keep my toilet gear here,” Bundasak said, pointing to his shelf. 

 

“When writing the charter, we spend our whole life here, starting from 5am and finishing at midnight.

 

“For this charter, this went on for about two months for the first set of writing and a couple of weeks more for the amendments,” he said, referring to changes in charter suggested by HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn in January. 

 

“Still, that was as much time as we had for working compared with previous charters.”

 

Despite their unique skills, there are limits to their career growth. Sompoch Rajbhat-yakom, deputy secretary-general to the Cabinet, said: “Undeniably, calligraphy is an exceptional talent. But at the same time, employees with this talent have a limited career path. As of now, the highest [civil service] rank they can get is C7. This is one concern the Secretariat is taking into consideration.”

 

Moreover, Sompoch went on, an obvious age gap can be seen among the calligraphers. Six of the nine have reached their sixties and are close to retirement. And in this era of smartphones and Internet apps, doing traditional writing wouldn’t be the first choice of the new generation, he conceded. 

 

People of older generations need to have patience when doing this work. Somsong Chamklang was a calligrapher until around 12 years ago, when he was assigned to stamp royal seals on royal documents.

 

This might not sound like much work. But, in reality, Somsong has to lift the 1.5-kilogram golden royal seal to stamp as many as 2,000 papers a day. The density of vermillion ink, stamping pressure, hardness of the surface under papers – all these things need to be carefully prepared to produce a decent stamping.

 

As well as the golden seal of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Somsong has also worked with four other royal seals, all deemed historic.

 

The ivory-made Royal Seal of the Great Decree and the Royal Seal of Swan Pavillion date back to the time of King Vajiravudh, or Rama VI, while the agate Royal Seal of Airavata Elephant goes back to the era of King Mongkut or Rama IV. Although very well kept, these historic seals do wear out over time, which means Somsong has to apply more pressure when stamping them.

 

“As you see, these seals are associated with royalty,” Sompoch explained, as Somsong gestured a “Wai” to pay respect to the seals before touching them, an act that women are prohibited from doing. “As each of them needs to be royally granted, we can’t swiftly replace one by another by ourselves. This explains why Somsong has to stick with the authentic seals.”

 

“But this is the work I chose to serve for,” Somsong added before pressing another seal on paper.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30313799

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-30

[Chang_paarp]

Does anyone else get the impression that this is an exercise in terd polishing?

[PatOngo]

This was the 20th charter that Thailand has seen since its first in 1932.

 

Busy guys! That's an average of a new charter every 4.25 years. Hub comes to mind.

[darksidedog]

Given the frequency of the Charters being changed, these people are in no danger of ever being out of work. Having to write such crap so beautifully, must be tough though.

[edwinchester]

Penning Thai Constitutions appears much like painting that Scottish railway bridge......finish it and then start all over again.

[mtls2005]

Only in Thailand can lipstick on a pig transform the pig into something which appears alluring.

 

 

And so many other things could be said...

[chainarong]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

Given the frequency of the Charters being changed, these people are in no danger of ever being out of work. Having to write such crap so beautifully, must be tough though.

Automation will kill the trade, perhaps being a General would be more lucrative, for future on going coups..................... 

[Thailand]

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

This was the 20th charter that Thailand has seen since its first in 1932.

 

Busy guys! That's an average of a new charter every 4.25 years. Hub comes to mind.

Almost the same as the Olympics.

 

If coups became an Olympic discipline Thailand would win gold every time

[Srikcir]

8 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Calligraphers started their days, and ended their nights, penning all details and bits of the 2017 Constitution on sheets of 120-gsm paper, soon to be assembled as traditional Thai folding books.

So much for Thailand 4.0

[ratcatcher]

These gentlemen would be working year in year out in the United Kingdom.  

[beautifulthailand99]

Would have been better off writing it on bog (toilet) paper - at least it would be more useful.

[Reigntax]

14 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Would have been better off writing it on bog (toilet) paper - at least it would be more useful.

 

He may have the same thought. It does says he keeps his toiletries with him. Or maybe putting such effort into something that you know is useless or will soon be thrown out by another junta just gives him the shits

[beautifulthailand99]

Constitutions in Thailand are like london Buses - don't worry if you miss one - another one will be along shortly.