Cotton and porcelain doll, 'Lanna Girl'

Suwit Suthamtha presents this exquisite doll personifying an elegant girl from Lanna (northern Thailand). Renowned for their gracious beauty, Lanna girls customarily wear a sabai across the chest and a sarong. Suthamtha captures every minute detail, including makeup and bright yellow flowers upon her hair, adding a coquettish touch with her jewelry. With a ceramic face and limbs, this Lanna girl recalls the high class distinction for which the people of Lanna have been renowned. Her presence will bring a touch of sophisticated charm. Suthamtha made a number of trials before achieving the hand-crafted perfection that characterizes his work and that of the artisans who collaborate with him. "I begin by molding the shape of the head, arms and legs in clay, and kiln the pieces at 1472�F. I then paint in the skin as well as the facial features. I use wire for the body, and shape it into a human posture, I wrap it with raw cloth and use kapok seeds for stuffing. I attach the ceramic limbs and face so that they may move. Then, women working at my workshop sew their clothes - I teach them how as well as about the different hill tribe costumes. Finally, I add jewelry items made of aluminum and zinc to authenticate what I see in real life." 150 years ago, Lanna was ruled by their own king so the people there referred to themselves as Khon Muang, the people of the municipalities, and were renowned for their charm and interest in older cultures. Mae-ying refers to the Lanna women of polite and graceful charm - always beautiful and elegant, as reflected by Suthamtha's doll.