“A Siamese spear in bamboo-cane ornamented with gold."
Hok kam mai phai khru’ang khram thong
Gift of King Mongkut, 1856
Harris Treaty Gifts
Staff (probably Mai phlong) bamboo, gold and enamel
Department of Anthropology, cat. # E3993
91 cm length x 1.5 cm width

Click on top of bamboo-cane to see a detailed image of handle.

This spotted-bamboo staff is probably a small symbolic weapon of the type called mai phlong, although it is called hok, or spear, in King Mongkut’s list and is richly decorated with gold and red and green enamel- a decorative style normally reserved for the Queen and for Chao Fa, celestial prince or princess rank (daughters or sons of a major queen). Most of the Thai Royal Gifts are of a noble rank and are of gold-plated silver decorated with black niello.

Gallery 1

1a. Robert's Treaty, 1833

1b. Harris Treaty, 1856

1c. Status & Rank of the Presidents

Gallery 2

2a. H.M. King Chulongkorn's Gifts

2b. Centennial Exposition, 1876

2c. 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition

Gallery 3

3a. Institutional Gifts

3b. Recent Gifts to the US

3c. Thai Royal Gifts in Perspective

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