THE SECRETS OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN TEXTILES
Myth, Status and the Supernatural
The James H. W. Thompson Foundation Symposium Papers
Edited by Jane Puranananda

Journey with fifteen scholars to Southeast Asia and neighbouring countries to discover the hidden meanings behind traditional textiles. Throughout Asia, textiles have played an important role in concepts of power and kingship and are also closely associated with shamanistic, Buddhist and Islamic beliefs. The papers presented in this work represent the scholarship and research of leading scholars from around the world who participated in The James H.W. Thompson Foundation symposium Status, Myth and the Supernatural – Unraveling the Secrets of Southeast Asian Textiles which was held in Bangkok in August of 2005.

Diana K. Myers highlights comparisons between Bhutanese and Southeast Asian textiles; Gillian Green writes on Cambodian textile hangings; John Guy, Roy W. Hamilton and Robyn J. Maxwell examine three very different aspects of Indonesia textiles; Susan Conway investigates Shamanistic practices among the Shan, while Barbara G. Fraser and David W. Fraser, Vibha Joshi and Piriya Krairiksh have researched the textiles of three other minority groups living in Myanmar; Patricia Cheesman and Linda McIntosh explore the implications of Lao women’s dress for Thailand, two authors, Leedom Lefferts and Suriya Smutkupt explain the relationship between Buddhism and textiles, while Thirabhand Chandrachareon discusses royal brocades; finally, Michael Howard shows how the Tai peoples of Vietnam use textiles to denote status and religion.

METISSAGES
A crossbreeding of contemporary art and textiles
Curated by Yves Sabourin

Métissages: A crossbreeding of contemporary art and textiles is an exhibition featuring 60 textile creations sourced from the French National Fund for Contemporary Art and private collections of weaving, embroidery, lace-making and fabric printing, as well as work by such contemporary artists as Christian Lacroix, Annette Messager and Jean-Michel Othoniel among others.

Métissages was first curated in 1998 by Yves Sabourin of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. It has been seen in 17 locations worldwide. Métissages presents works made as collaborations between various international contemporary artists and French craftsmen in the field of lace, tapestry and embroidery. These projects were initiated by Sabourin, who envisioned mutually inspiring encounters between practitioners of some of France’s most ancient, traditional crafts and artists working in various experimental modes. The union of their diverse artistic skills has given rise to extraordinary work, enriching the artists’ repertoire of techniques and, in some cases, leading to lasting technical innovations. The range of forms is extraordinary, including large- and small-scale tapestries, two- and three-dimensional lace and embroidery pieces, and installations. The collaborative teams combined acute attention to detail and superior technical skill with fresh artistic vision and, often, provocative contemporary ideas.

Relive the saga of Jim Thompson's incredible life as he journeys through the pages of this comic epic. Follow Jim and his pals as he ventures through a century of daring escapades and discover how he rose to become Thailand's most famous expatriate by breathing new life into a lost industry. After his dramatic disappearance on that fateful day in the Malay jungle in 1967, join Jim as he finally returns home to Bangkok after an absence of forty years.

A must-read, this specially designed bumper comic set is released in a four-volume package. Whether comic book enthusiast or fine art patron, this unique series of illustrative art is a valuable treasure for all collectors! Each of the 48-page volumes brims with hilarious illustrations that celebrate the everyday Pop culture of Thai comic book art.

The limited edition Lost in the City comic package was conceived by Thai-Indian artist Navin Rawanchaikul. Internationally recognised, Navin is known for creating an imaginative brand of installation and interactive art that delivers novel methods of introducing contemporary art to the public at large. Melding art and life, Navin often uses public vehicles as a universal metaphor for life's journeys.

This comic collection is specially produced in conjunction with Navin's multifaceted showcase exhibition Lost in the City at the Center for the Arts at Jim Thompson House and Museum in Bangkok. Organised by the James H.W. Thompson Foundation, Navin's exhibition celebrates the centenary of the birth of Jim Thompson while unravelling the sprawling urbanisation that has become synonymous with the megalopolis, a city where Thompson spent much of his life.

JIM THOMPSON
THE HOUSE ON THE KLONG
William Warren, Jean-Michel Beurdeley, Luca Invernizzi Tettoni
Language: English, French, Japanese

The polished wood panels of a group of Thai style teak houses, facing the slow-moving waters of the Klong Maha Nag, shine brilliantly in the high-noon sun. Here was the home of Jim Thompson, the legendary American businessman who developed a thriving silk business in the years before he went missing in the jungles of the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia — a man whose flair for the tasteful and graceful led him to build a house in which objects of great value and beauty can still be seen displayed in appropriate surroundings. This book reviews the early years when Thompson was building his business and looking for a location for his new house. The reader is then introduced to the house and garden, and finally the art objects in the Jim Thompson collection are described in more detail.

JIM THOMPSON
THE THAI SILK SKETCHBOOK
Watercolors by Graham Byfield
Text by William Warren

When the renowned American businessman, Jim Thompson, disappeared on Easter Sunday 1967 in mysterious circumstances, the legend of this extraordinarily gifted designer and entrepreneur began.

This attractive work portrays the world of Jim Thompson with annotated sketches and fine watercolor paintings — exploring his life story, the house, now a museum; the history of silk; sericulture and silk making; and the company he established which today continues his work, producing some of the world’s finest fabrics and designs.

JIM THOMPSON
THE UNSOLVED MYSTERY
Text by William Warren
Language: English, Japanese

On Easter Day, 1967, American businessman and founder of the modern Thai silk industry James H. W. Thompson disappeared while supposedly on a stroll in the jungle-clad Cameron Highlands in Central Malaysia. The circumstances were unusual, and led to a massive search and investigation. Neither Jim Thompson nor his remains has ever been found… At the time, Jim Thompson was already a legend in Southeast Asia. After he vanished, Jim Thompson became the subject of a second legend, a mystery that has never been solved. The facts were first recounted by William Warren in 1970 in his book The Legendary American. Today, many people in Thompson’s circle are no longer living. Now the author, who knew Thompson well, is able to write more freely. This revised edition contains new material on Thompson’s private life and his alleged role as a CIA agent, drawn from interviews with people close to the events. The result is this definitive account of a true-life mystery of international proportions.

(DVD Video)
JIM THOMPSON
HOUSE ON THE KLONG
A Virtual Tour of Jim Thompson's House and Museum Collection
Film by Barry Broman

The Jim Thompson House is the former home of James H.W. Thompson, founder of the world famous Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company. The house is a fitting legacy to his interest in Thai art and sculpture and his love of Thailand and its people. It contains one of the finest collections of southeast asian art and provides insight into Thailand's rich culture heritage.

(DVD Video)
JIM THOMPSON
MUD MEE TIE-DYED SILK FROM ISAN
Heritage Hands: Silk Weavers of Isan Traditional Silk Dyeing in Northeastern Thailand
Produced by Barry Broman
Directed by Neil Hollander
Edited by Kevin Chapados

AT THE TABLE OF JIM THOMPSON
Language: English, French, Japanese

Having gained international renown as Bangkok’s most celebrated social center’, the house Jim Thompson built on the bank of the Klong Maha Nag still preserves the spirit and legend of the man. The Jim Thompson house, as it is popularly known, was the setting for many parties and dinners which Jim Thompson hosted during his time in Thailand. These were always major social events, and the dining room of the house has seen the likes of New York glitterati and the best of Thai society pass through its doors.

Thai food was an essential part of dinners at the house, and guests were always delighted by the dishes featured, which often comprised traditional Thai cuisine. In At the Table of Jim Thompson, dishes which used to grace these memorable parties can now be recreated in your own kitchen, allowing you to savor the flavors and ambience which were the mainstays of dinners at the house on the klong.

SYMPTOMS OF JIM THOMPSON
Created by Hans Fonk

The projects in this book have the following in common: Jim Thompson fabrics, furniture and accessories.

ARCHITECTURE OF THAILAND
A guide to traditional and contemporary forms
Nithi Sthapitanonda and Brian Mertens

This book concentrates on the multitude of elements and forms that go into Thai architecture. It is a guide to aesthetics that also explores the underlying meanings of forms. All the important features of Thai culture — its agrarian roots, its religion and monarchy, its rich mix of foreign influences — are embodied in its buildings. As a result, this book also illuminates Thai tradition and history.

Lively text and over 800 contemporary and archival photographs and illustrations explore Thailand’s indigenous house architecture, from the humble but charming field hut to the splendid teak mansion built on stilts. Religious architecture, the product of centuries of influences from all over Asia and the world, is viewed in terms of the special features and functions of each building in the temple compound. There are chapters devoted to the Grand Palace. Some topics here are little covered elsewhere: Thailand’s Islamic architecture, shophouses, Siamese-style bonsai gardening, courtyard walls and gates, and ornament such as glass mosaic. Finally, the authors look at today’s innovative adaptation of traditional Thai forms in modern architecture.

Architecture of Thailand is intended as an inspirational source book for architects, heritage conservationists and designers, as well as other enthusiasts, in the hope that the country’s architectural riches will survive and flourish.