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S.P. Publishing Group Co., Ltd.
11/1 Soi 3 Bamrungburi Rd., T. Prasingh,
A. Muang., Chiang Mai 50200
Tel. 053 - 814 455-6 Fax. 053 - 814 457
E-mail: guidelin@loxinfo.co.th
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Chilli Antiques
and Arts "A Vast Collection of Buddhist
Antiquities"
So vast is the collection at Chilli Antiques and Arts that it has four branches around Chiang Mai each with a distinct character and ambience. The Night Bazaar and Sridonchai branches are in walking distance of each other, and their shop in the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Hotel is evidence of its reputation as being an antique merchant with integrity, and one which can be trusted.
The fourth shop at Hang Dong is where I was given a very interesting tour by the proprietor, Khun Piyaporn, who with almost twenty years’ experience in the business, has built up a wealth of knowledge about Asian antiques and artifacts.
What is immediately striking about this shop is how the collection has been meticulously displayed to give the impression of walking through an art gallery or museum. The majority of the pieces originate from Burma, predominantly made up of Buddha statues, including a 17th
century wooden sitting Buddha from the Ava period, a late 16th century lacquer Buddha from the Pagan period and others made from alabaster marble, sandstone and bronze. Other decorative items include large trunks for Buddhist scriptures, new bronze production elephants in Lanna, Ayuttaya and Burmese style, 19th Century Burmese ceiling panels, a teakwood pagoda from the Mandalay period, six foot high wooden carvings, elephant bells, monks’ offering vessels, 2,500 year-old Vietnamese bronzes from the Dongzon era, Laos frog drums, Burmese wooden puppet heads and a stunning set of handmade Iranian colour vases.
All antiques come with certificates that guarantee their authenticity and once you have decided on your purchase, Chilli will organize the shipping to anywhere in the world. For dealers, interior designers and interested tourists, this is somewhere you must pay a visit.
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