Suvarnahamsa Royal Barge

Keywords : King Rama IX, Pavilion Barge , Royal Barges National Museum , Suvarnahamsa Royal Barge

Site common name	Royal Barges National Museum
Type of artwork	Sculpture
Sub district	Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang
District	Khet Phra Nakhon
Province	Bangkok
Region	Central
Country	Thailand
Geographic Coordinates Decimal degree	Lat : 13.761978 Long : 100.484572
Geographic Coordinates UTM	Zone : 47 P Hemisphere : N E : 660500.27 N : 1521897.22
Place of artwork	Royal Barges National Museum

History of production	The present Suvarnahamsa Royal Barge was built during the reign of King Rama V, but the construction finished in the reign of King Rama VI. The shipwright was Major General Praya Rajsongkram(Korn Hongsakul) and the float-out ceremony of the royal barge is held on the 13^th November 1911.
Production process	Wood craving, lacquer, gilding and glass mosaics
Size	Length 44.9 m., width 3.14 m., draught 0.41 m.
Art	The prow was crafted as a swan figure, as well as flame and vegetal motifs with lacquered, gilded and glass mosaic decoration. The exterior was painted with black lacquer, and the interior was red ochre painted. The Kanya Throne is fixed to the middle part of the royal barge. Curtains are hung on around the Throne which serves to accommodate the Kings and the royal family members. During a royal ceremony, the finial mouth of the swan figurehead will be adorned with a white Nepalese yak’s tassel the end of which is decorated with a crystal pendant.
Key academic information	Suvarnahamsa Royal Barge can be classified as the highest category of royal barge which belongs to the Kings. It had been recorded since the Ayutthaya period and in the Rattanakosin period, King Rama I ordered to construct a new one and named it as Sri Suvarnahamsa Royal Barge. The Present Suvarnahamsa Royal Barge was built during the reign of King Rama V, since the original one was in badly damaged condition. The reconstruction finished in the reign of King Rama VI, and the royal barge was renamed as Suvarnahamsa. The figurehead is a Hamsa or swan, the animal vehicle of Lord Brahma in Hinduism which probably symbolized the King.
Notice	Suvarnahamsa Royal Barge was awarded as the world heritage barge by the World ship Trust in 1992.
Period	Historical Period
Art period	Rattanakosin
Age	25th Buddhist century
Religion and belief	Traditions in the Thai Royal Court

Type of License	Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND)
Rights	Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre
Date of record creation	2017-06-19
Record creator	Patsaweesiri Premkulanan
Bibliography	ณัฏฐภัทร จันทวิช. เรือพระราชพิธี. กรุงเทพฯ : กรมศิลปากร, 2539 กรมศิลปากร. นำชมพิพิธภัณฑสถานแห่งชาติ เรือพระราชพิธี. กรุงเทพฯ : กรมศิลปากร, 2556.