Kings Of Thailand - Rama V and Rama IX
c1900s and 1950s. Sculpture cast in brass on black porcelain base, and group of eight vintage silver gelatin photographs in small format, 40 x 24 x 22cm (sculpture), 12.8 x 7.8cm to 13 x 8cm (photographs). Slight oxidation to sculpture, minor crinkles to corners of photographs. The sculpture is a bust of Chulalongkorn (Rama V), wearing his regalia. The group of photographs are of Bhumibol Adulyade-Rama IX. They mostly depict official events with one showing the king and queen in casual attire. Chulalongkorn (1853–1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. His reign was “characterised by the modernisation of Siam, governmental and social reforms, and territorial concessions to the British and French. As Siam was surrounded by European colonies, Chulalongkorn, through his policies and acts, ensured the independence of Siam.” In the early 1860s, he and his siblings were taught by Anna-Harriette Leonowens (Brit., 1831–1915), a widow with two young children, who was invited to Siam (Thailand) by his father King Mongkut (Rama IV). who wanted her to teach his children and wives the English language and introduce them to British customs. Leonowens’ experiences during the five years she spent in the country served as the basis for two memoirs, which inspired the fictionalised best-selling novel Anna and the King of Siam (1944) and subsequent musical and movie The King and I. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Bhumibol Adulyadej (1927–2016) was the ninth monarch from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama IX. Reigning from1946 to 2016, he was the “third-longest verified reigning sovereign monarch…after King Louis XIV and Queen Elizabeth II…He was highly revered by the people in Thailand.” Ref: Wiki.
Item #CL207-8
Price (AUD): $5,500.00 other currencies