The Princess as story-teller

Naturally curious and encouraged by the support of Their Majesties the King and Queen, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has been studying the arts and sciences since she was a small child. Over the years, the Princess has travelled extensively throughout Thailand and abroad in carrying out her duties, all the while gathering innovative ideas that can be put to use to further her philanthropic aims at home.
Now several of the items the Princess has collected in the course of her official and private travels around the world or received as gifts during these visits have been put together in the exhibition “The Storyteller”. Organised in honour of her fifth cycle anniversary, it’s on show at the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles (QSMT) in the Ratsadakorn-bhibhathana Building of the Grand Palace through March 31.
“The Storyteller”, which also marks the museum’s third anniversary, features a wide variety of objects, some ordinary, others rare, many of them gifts. Each piece represents a memorable experience for the Princess from the countless museums, galleries, botanical gardens, and other significant spots she has visited on virtually every continent and serves as her window into other cultures and ways of living.
Piyavara Teekara Natenoi, director of the QSMT, says the exhibition is divided into four categories – storytelling items, items from her journeys, textiles, and books. The QSMT has also prepared a booklet detailing the exhibition.
The storytelling section presents some of the items the Princess has collected for almost 50 years including arts and crafts from her childhood and items she has acquired personally and that have been given as gifts.
The second section spotlights items from her foreign visits and covers mementoes of more than 100 museums, art galleries and botanical gardens.
The third part features the Princess’ textile collection and includes such fabrics as the Thai silk “Yok Thong” with a look kaew pattern that’s being used especially for the exhibition. The Princess was born on Saturday April 2, 1955, and the then Supreme Patriarch Somdej Kroma Luang Vachirayannawong named her Princess Chao Fa Sirindhorn Debaratanarajasuda Kittivadhanadulsobhak, meaning “a great woman”. The look kaew pattern has four petals, which symbolise love and unity and represent the Princess’ hard work to improve the wellbeing of her people.
The last segment reflects the Princess’ passion for books. A great reader, she has more than 100,000 books in her private library |covering a wide range of topics |from history, languages, geography and art and culture as well as |autobiographies.
 
-The exhibition runs through the end of March.
-The Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles is open daily from 9am to 4pm. The ticket booth closes at 3.30.
-Ticket prices are Bt150 for adults (free entry for those above 65 years old), Bt80 for students, and Bt50 for youngsters aged 12 to18. Children under 12 get in for free.
-For more information, call (02) 225-9430 extensions 0, 245.