Study of Color Culture from the Arts of Phetchaburi Artisanry, Thailand, for a Design Color Books

Abstract

This study explores the distinctive color culture embedded in the artistic expressions of Phetchaburi Artisanry, a heritage craft deeply rooted in Thailand’s cultural history. Color has long played a critical role in Thai artistry, serving not only as a medium of aesthetic appeal but as a conduit of symbolic meaning, storytelling, and cultural identity. Specifically, Phetchaburi Artisanry, with its vibrant traditions of stuccowork, banana plant carving, Khon mask painting, and goldsmithing, employs unique color palettes that reflect both the materials used and the cultural symbolism attached to each hue. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the origin and application of color within various branches of Phetchaburi Artisanry, with a particular focus on how these traditional colors can be preserved and adapted in contemporary design. This research adopts both qualitative and quantitative methods involving field observations, interviews and document analysis to comprehensively identify and analyse colour usage by the artisans in Phetchaburi. The research shows that some colours are obtained from natural products and originate from traditional sources, retaining the names and the connotations associated with Thai literature, mythology and gemology. Thus, the color book was developed with the purpose of archiving and expressing the color wisdom of Phetchaburi Artisanry. This book was then reviewed by 30 participants, where the participants had a high level of satisfaction, with an average of 4.39 (S.D. = 0.25), which supports the effectiveness of the design in maintaining and implementing Thai color culture for the contemporary world.