Royal homage a 3D marvel

THE DEATH of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej has sent demand skyrocketing for a three-volume set of books about him that were first released in 2011 but largely ignored despite their amazing three-dimensional pop-up graphics.
    Five years ago, to commemorate his 84th birthday, the Sirivatana Foundation published “Phiang Phor Kor Phor Phiang: The Soul of Siam”, which illustrates the late King’s life and interests with intricate artwork that folds out from the pages. 
    Only now, though, as the mourning period continues and word about the book set spreads on social media, are people scrambling for copies. At the moment the set is out of stock, but a second edition is forthcoming.

    “Thirteen thousand copies were published in 2011, from a Bt30-million budget,” says Pornthep Samatiyadekul, head of Sirivatana Interprint, which runs the foundation. 
    “We distributed most of them among schools to encourage young people to read and to educate them about His Majesty’s life-long contributions to the country’s development. It took about two years to finish the books, which demanded accurate and concise information, these remarkable illustrations and a very delicate production process, as well as permission from the Royal Household Bureau.”
    With demand for the volumes surging since the King’s death, Sirivatana is preparing to produce more copies, but only to meet advance orders, Pornthep says. He warns that the complicated production process means that even those who’ve placed orders will have a long wait.
    More than 20,000 orders have come in since November 1. Orders will continue to be accepted through Tuesday. 

     Produced in Vientiane by 500 staffs who assemble each component by hands, the hefty boxed set comprises three hardcover books 12 inches (30 centimetres) square, two inches thick and two kilograms in weight. The books can be rotated 360 degrees within the box. They can produce about 100 copies a day.
    Sirivatana Interprint itself is based in Samut Prakhan and produces pop-up books for international publishers including Scholastic Inc and Little Brown. 
    “The books have several intriguing mechanisms,” says Pornthep. “You can press a button to get lights and sounds and pull a paper tab or turn a paper disc to see more hidden pictures. 
    “This set involves different printing techniques, such as debossing and gold-foil stamping on the covers, and inside there is embossing, irregular die-cutting and spot-gloss UV make the designs look glossy and sleek.”
    Artist Taveepong Limapornvanich created the 500 striking watercolours for the books, which were then painstakingly rendered as 3D fold-out sculptures. 
    The three books cover different periods of His Majesty’s life and reign.

    Volume 1 is about his childhood in Switzerland, his and Queen Sirikit’s wedding, his talents in sport, music, arts and crafts, science and literature, and his visits to remote areas of Thailand. His father Prince Mahidol, the Princess Mother, and his siblings Prince Ananda (later King Rama VIII) and Princess Galyani are all depicted among the pop-up illustrations.

    A pop-up rendition of His Majesty’s favourite Linhof camera has a button that can be pressed and a viewfinder to peer through – at an illuminated image of the young King, while the melody of his song “Klai Roong” (“Near Dawn”) plays. Another pop-up shows him on his sailboat. 

    Volume 2 features His Majesty’s coronation on May 5, 1950, in all its grandeur, recalling his oath of accession: “We shall reign with righteousness for the benefits and happiness of the Siamese people.” 

    Pornthep points out that this book’s most complicated illustration is the 3D rendering of the Royal Barge Suphannahong, on which the King would ride. It’s exactly to scale, he says.
    Volume 3 is about Chitralada Villa, the royal residence in Bangkok, where the King conducted experiments in agriculture and other realms. The villa is currently home to 36 projects in rice cultivation, milk production, fish farming and alternative fuels, a tiny fraction of the more than 4,000 development projects he initiated during his reign.
    Another remarkable pop-up depicts the Chaipattana aerator he invented, one of his many patents. It cleanses large bodies of water and is in wide use today.

     The final artwork depicts the memorable celebrations of His Majesty’s 60th anniversary on the throne on June 9, 2006. One pop-up shows the tens of thousands of joyous people clad in yellow assembled outside the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. Another has Their Majesties the King and Queen greeting the public from the Throne Hall balcony. LED lights form fireworks and you can hear the crowd chanting “Long Live the King”.

    Meanwhile, film director Ongart Cheamcharoenpornkul has posted on Facebook an emotional music video using the pop-ups seen in the books. It’s set to the royal anthem as sung by Parn Srinarong of Vie Trio fame. 
    “I collect pop-up books and I never knew about this set, which beautifully sums up my love for the King,” Ongart says. He was able to get a second-hand set “after long negotiations with the owner”, but has also ordered a new edition. 
    The music video, he says, was “just a little thing I did to pay tribute”.

    “I feel guilty that I never paid much attention to him. Now I realise how much he did for the country. I’m making a second version, but this time I’ll use my own drawings.”
    He’s also planning a separate art project using the boxed set. “I plan to spend my free time visiting as many schools as I can conducting art classes. I’ll start by telling the kids about the great King, using these books to inspire them to take up drawing and learn more about His Majesty.”

PRE-ORDERS, THEN A WAIT
Advance orders for “Phiang Phor Kor Phor Phiang: the Soul of Siam” are being accepted until Tuesday at http://SirivatanaFoundation.|lnwshop.com/welcome.
The boxed set costs Bt3,999. 
Find out more at (038) 533 250 and www.SiriFoundation.or.th.