Description of the attraction
The Bangkok Puppet Museum was founded in 1957 by the renowned doll maker Khunyung Thongkorn Chanthawimol. She studied at one of the best schools in the world for the creation of Ozawa dolls in Tokyo (Japan) and for her skillful work and delicate sense of beauty received an award from the King of Thailand himself.
The collection of the museum includes about 400 handmade Thai dolls. They are appreciated by collectors around the world and are internationally recognized. At the international puppet competition in Krakow (Poland) in 1978, the collection of the Bangkok Museum received the main prize “Golden Peacock Feather”. In a handicraft competition organized by the Thai Ministry of Industry in 1982 to mark Bangkok's 200th anniversary, the museum's collection also won first place.
To a large extent, the dolls in the museum cover the following thematic aspects: rural life in Thailand, northern mountain tribes and traditional Thai costumes. However, there is also a section in it that includes traditional costumes from all countries of the world, including Russia, Australia, Greece, South Korea, Belgium, China and many others.
The highlight of the museum collection are the dolls from the dramatic performance of Khon, based on the ancient Thai epic Ramakien. The story told by these dolls is based on the confrontation between good and evil. The collection of Khon masks from Ramakien deserves special attention. Making them even in full size requires incredible labor, not to mention their miniature versions.
All dolls in the museum are divided into antiques of historical value and those that can be purchased in a private collection.
