Chada and mongkut

Royal ballet of Cambodia dancers wearing mokot ksatrey (left) and mokot ksat (right)

The chada (Thai: ชฎา, from Pali/Sanskrit: jaṭā) and mongkut (มงกุฎ, Khmer: mokot, from makuṭa) are headdresses used as crowns in the monarchies of today's Thailand, Cambodia and (historically) Laos and Myanmar, and in classical court dances including khon/khol and the various forms of lakhon. They feature a tall pointed shape, are made of gold or a substitute, and are usually decorated with gemstones.

The chada and mongkut originated as headdresses symbolizing the jaṭāmakuṭa, the matted hair of an ascetic formed into the shape of a crown, often found in the iconography of Shiva and Avalokiteśvara.[1][2] During the Ayutthaya period, the chada and mongkut acquired the distinctive tall pointed shape from the lomphok, a pointed cloth headdress of Persian origin.[3] In Thai classical dance, the chada is worn by male characters of royal status, while the mongkut is worn by females. In the Cambodian tradition, both are referred to as mokot, distinguished as mokot ksat for males and mokot ksatrey for females.

There are many variants of chada and mongkut, reflecting the status of the wearer as well as the occasion. As a symbol of divinity, the mongkut often appears in the iconography of the Buddha and in artistic depictions of devata (divine beings). It is also a symbol of kingship; the highest ranking mongkut is featured in the royal regalia of both Thailand and Cambodia as the Great Crown of Victory (Phra Maha Phichai Mongkut in Thai, Preah Moha Mokot Reach in Cambodian).

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Crowns of Thailand.
  1. ↑ Wongthes, Sujit (15 January 2016). "นาฏศิลป์และดนตรี ของไทย กับ ของอาเซียน: เอกสารประกอบบรรยาย ที่มหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏพระนครศรีอยุธยา" [Dance and music of Thailand and of Asean: Notes to a lecture at Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Rajabhat University] (PDF) (in Thai). Matichon. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  2. ↑ Holt, John Clifford (1991). Buddha in the crown: Avalokitesvara in the Buddhist traditions of Sri Lanka. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 42. ISBN 9780195362466.
  3. ↑ Wattanasukchai, Sirinya (5 September 2012). "Hat trick&beyond". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.