Baan Jang Nak
Baan Jang Nak : A Museum of Elephant Wood Carvings
source: www.baanjangnak.com
Founded on 1985 by Mr. Phet Wiriya, who has a strongly passion on the art of wood carving. He was a student of the greatest wood carver in Lam Pang "Kum-ay DejDuangTa" who taugh him about carving and suggested him to the beauty and meaningful spirit of Elephants. After Phet finished learning with his teacher, he got a career in Bangkok to teach prisoner about wood carving. He later came back to his hometown and led a couple of his friends and students who also love and want to learn traditional Lanna Style woodcarving
Phet started caved everything from earth to sky, animals, Fruits and vegetables, Scenery, Human sculpture ,etc. and finally the onlything he love and happy to do was to carve elephant. He stoped everything and went to the zoo, elephant camp and everywhere that elephants live then took a pictures, sketched and drew the picture of elephants in many actions and postures. He also got a suggestion from the famoust architect and art supporter "Mr. Nidhi Satapitanond" to the way to expressed himself into his work of arts.
On 1988, "Pra Yoon Janyawong" (Born 1915), A famoust columnist at that time visited the house. He was very exciting to see a lot of elephant woodcarving by Phet and his students. He named the place "Baan Jang Nak ", which means a house that full of elephants woodcarving.
Phet and his team had developed the way to carve. He was the first carver who changed the way of a traditional style of Lanna elephant woodcarving which was a standing elephant with long legs and the same posture to a realistic look of elephant. He also experimented in using new materials to carve, suggested a carvmans who used only teak wood to carve. Cassia Wood is a local wood and easily found in Chiang Mai. They are easily found in Thailand. It is a quick growing tree and could grow in anykind of weather. Most of thai people will use the tip of its leaves for foods (Steam or use for the curry). Some part of the tree are used as medicine (good for decrease blood pressure) For its wood, the only purpose is to make a fuel. Phet was the first carveman who use this kind of wood to carve even its wood is harder than anykind of wood, but the result came out with beauty and fantastic work of arts.
Coloring the wood is the most important thing before finishing a piece of wood carving. Chemical coloring is not the way Baan Jang Nak has chosen. In stead, color from the fruit of Ebony tree (Diospyros mollis Griff) is the first choice. Thai people use this kind of fruit for dying a fabric and also use as herb. For coloring with this way, it will take almost 10 layers of the color for each piece of work and the wood will absorb the color into itself. Finally, a color of the elephant wood carvings will look natural, realistic and of course non toxin for human and environment.
On 2003, Baan Jang Nak was named as A Museum of Elephant Wood Carvings and have shown many of master piece elephant wood carvings that Phet has collected since he first carved and also many of wood carvings of his friends and students during the past 22 years. Visitors from around the world came here to visit and tell the stories of the elephants in thailand to their families and friends. As well as a willing of everyone in Baan Jang Nak who love and want to protect the real elephants and want to tell the stories of them through their works.
Travel Information :
OPEN HOUR : 8.00 a.m – 5.00 a.m / Every Day / No Entrance Fee
HOW TO COME TO THE MUSEUM
BY CAR OR MOTORCYCLE :
1. Take old Sankampang Road : From Chiang Mai City, you can cross Nawarat bridge pass train station and drive along the old Sankampang road toward to Sankampang district.(you can notice a lot of big tree along the road) You will pass many interesting places such as Bo-Sang to see handmade paper umbrella or Ton-Pao to see those beautiful Mulberry paper making. From Bo-Sang, go straigt to Sankampang, you will past Sankampang High school, Keep going until you past the bridg and you will see a big elephant standing infront of Chae-Chang Temple(Of course, it the elephant from Baan Jang Nak and this is your first temple). Prepare to turn left and then turn right immediatly infront of the temple throug the market (Local evening market) and keep driving until you see the 3rd temple. You will see a sign and a small elephant on the cornor of the temple’s wall on your right. Turn right and slow down your car (because this street have a lot of little children) and Baan Jang Nak is in the end of this street.
2. Take a Super high way (Don Jan-Hot spring) : This way is the quickest way to come to Baan Jang Nak. From Nawarat Bridge, pass train station and turn right at a super highway transaction (Chiang Mai – Lam Pang). Drive along a super highway until you see Big C on your left (A green sign with a C Alphabet). Get ready to turn Left to Sankampang. Keep going along Don-Jan – Hot spring, you will past 5 transactions. 1 kms from the 5th transaction get ready to turn left to Buakkang. and come along 500 m. by the village street you will see You will see a sign and a small elephant on the cornor of the temple’s wall on your left, then turn left with slowing down your car (because this street have a lot of little children) and Baan Jang Nak is in the end of this street.
3. By Local Transportation : There are a White Bus from Chiang Mai city to Sankampang district every 5 – 10 minuits. You can take the bus at Wa-Ro-Ros market (behind Chiang Mai Jai Dee Fabric Store) Before leaving, You should ask the driver to take you here and you might pay a little bit extra money (most of them know this place) but if they don’t you have to get off at Chae-Chang Temple (you will see a big elephant sculpture in front of the temple and it would be a pick up spot. But please call me at 083-203-9991 Or 053-446891 before you leave the city to make sure I can pick you up at the temple(and of cours, It’s free!!!). By the way, It will take 45 minuits from Chiang Mai to Sankampang and the cost for the bus will be 20 – 40 baht.
Map to Baan Jang Nak
Contact Us
Baan Jang Nak : A Museum of Elephant wood carvings.
56/1 Moo. 2 Buakkang, Sankampang, Chiang mai. 50130 Thailand
Tel/Fax. : 053-446891
E-mail : yingfoto@hotmail.com
