Aluminum repousse panel, "Duel of Elephants"

Renowned silversmith Thiva Boonnak expertly creates this exquisite aluminum repoussé panel depicting the dramatic battle fought during the siege of Chiang Mai led by the king Taksin of Ayutthaya. Here, Boonnak engraves with delicacy every minuscule detail of the scene, evident in the soldiers' fearless expressions and almost palpable violence. The kingdom of Lanna in northern Thailand was an independent country for over 200 years, extending north to Burma and south to Lampang. The first ruler was king Mengrai, who founded both the Mengrai dynasty and the city of Chiang Mai. Years later the Burmese overran the kingdom of Lanna and occupied it until 1775. The king Taksin of Ayutthaya recaptured Chiang Mai, and the kingdom of Lanna was eventually incorporated into Siam in the reign of Rama V. Boonak frames this vivid scene with an exotic rain tree frame and may be displayed on a wall from small ring at the back or atop a shelf from its pivotal stand.

Thiva Boonnak describes the traditional and demanding process she follows for this remarkable home adornment: "For this panel, my suppliers provide me with 100% aluminum sheets. Once I got these sheets I heat up a mixture of oil and pitch, and I apply a coat of this mixture on a wooden surface. I apply another coat of that mixture to one face of the sheet. I fix the sheet to the wooden surface and I start to engrave it with a wide variety of chisels. Once engraved, I lightly reheat the piece to remove the pitch and I place the piece into a boiling acid bath to rinse out the impurities. I wash the piece into a solution of washing powder and tamarind. Then I wash with water and let it dry in the sun. I finally file it with a brass brush and polish it to a beautiful high sheen."