Notices of Books. - Siamese Heritage Protection Program

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Notices of Books.
L'EVEIL ECONOi\IIQUE DE L'INDOOHINE.-JNTER-0CEAN.
'rwo Siari1 numbers have recently appeared that are worthy
of passing mention. 'rhe first to be published was '·Siam, numero
special de l'Eveil Economique de l'Indochine", the Hanoi weekly
which Mr. Henri Cucherousset edits with so much success. This
·special number is entirely ·undated, nor is it provided with a
table of contents or an index. None the less this publication wtts well
wor~h while, and is still wol'bh space in any Siam man's library:
Mr. Cuche1~ousset's purpose is clearly set out. Siam and French
Indochine have outlived and outgrown the many misunderstandings
of the past; both are pursuing policies o£ development, policies that
must inevitably lead in time to the provision of better means of
communication between the two countdes. Siam has shown herself
ready to do her part in furthel'ing direct communication, , and M1·.
Cucherousset :felt he would be doing a useful thing in making Siam
better known to his cdmpatriots. 'l'here is not a little ignorance in
the one country o£ the other, a;nd his object was to make public
opinion in Inclochine much hotter informed about Siam.
To
accomplish this he has simply brought toguther fromexh>tiug French
books and French journals the rnate.rinJ that best suited his purpose.
He reproduces his own work as a matter of course, beginning with
a sympathetic note on "Notre Voisin : le Siam" from the Eclair
Comtois. He was here in 1920, and wrote shrewdly, in his own
paper, on railways, roac1s, army and navy, air service, boy scouts,
education etc. His notable artiele on the theatre in Siam is also
reproduced. 'l'here ·is a. sympathetic note on the work of the
Catholic Mission, and another article reproduced from that date tells
us what the French arc cloiug in Siam aod what they might be
doing. As regards the n10dern economic development we have also
extracts from the report of the "Mission d'Etudes economiques a
l'etranger cle la Ohambre de Commerce de Saigon" and a report
by the French Consul in Bangkok. Mr. Riquet writes on thEl work
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of the Red Cross and the Pasteur Institute, and there is an article
on the codification of the la:w8 of Siam. Two numbers of the
Revue Indoehinoise are laid under contribution on extra-territoriality.
From "Le Siam et les Siamois", by Connnanda,nt E. Lunet de
Lajonquiere, we have chapters on Buddhism in Siam, the pagodas o£
Bangkok, etc.· Mr. Graham's Handbook is als::> laid under contribution, in translation. Altogether we get quite an adequate view of
the activities of Siam to-day, but the feature of this publication is
not in these articles; it is in the extract.s from the older bookfl on
things Siamefle. I11 this connection there is a vahiable histo1:icalnote
on the Dutch in Siam by Mr. Blankwaardt. Then Bishop Pn,llegoix's
work is still a thing of actuality, and here and there in this numbe.1
we have reproduced the greater part of his "Description du Royaume
'l'hai". Mr. le Chevalier d·e Chaumont's account of the cloing.'l of the
embassy sent by Louis XIV is 11lso given at length, ns well as a
summary of the Histoire de M. Constan'ce ou dom;tantiu Phaulkon by
lo Perc d'Orlean·,; de lit Compagnie de Jesus. Such a combination of
the past and the present really goes some way to com·cy a real
knowledge of this country. Tho num:JJer is of course ttclequatcly
illustrated.
The special Si11m Number of "luter-Ocettn", the well known
Dutch East Indian monthly, was published in August last. 'l'he editqr.
Mr. G. G. van der Kop, came to this country to get the material, and was
quite successful in this mission. . As a magazine number for the moment it is readable and up to date, and in addition it contains some
things of more permanent value. All the illustrations are admirably
reproduced, and that is what gives value to the couple of pages o£
pictures of the treasures of the National Library-lacquered book·
cases, .a lacquered case for prayer books, decorated palm leaf manus. 'eripts, and the frames of Pali manuscripts. Similarly the heading
"Siamese Dancing and stage Cmft" covers simply a page
containing three photographs, which are left to speak for themselves. 'l'o one who knows nothing of the subject these can
really say . very little for themselves, yet they Htrike one
HS really WOrth wllile.
'l'he S3.ll1e applies to a couple of l'C·
productions of sections ot the painted wallA of temples, which
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accompany the few notcR on Sia111eRe arts a,nd crafts contribut-'
ed by Mr. F. S. 1:-la,rrop. In a brief article on "the Temples of Siam"
Professor George Coedes enumerates the principal characteristics
of temple architecture in this country, and indicates their origin. The
ttrticle is adequately illustrated. This number also contains an article
of historical interest on the Dutch in Siam by Mr. S. KaHf, a Dutch
publicist specially interested in historical subjects. In adddition to
the two already mentioned, Mr. van der Kop also secured the collaboration h~re of Dr. Leopold Robert (Siamese Reel Cross Society),
Mr. ]j'erdinancl Didier (Bangkok waterworks), H. S, H. Prince
Amoraclhat (the Siamese Army), and the Royal Aeronttutical Service
on its own work. 'l'hen Mr. Kilmer 0. Moe writes an interesting
account of an interview he had with the ltaihvay-building Prince of
Siam, while a Siamese railway official writes on the State Railways.
Major A. M. W. van Ranesse contributes a few notes on the history,
geography, and economic development of Siam, and the editor himself
writes on Bangkok as a temple city.· The illustrations contain page
photographs of H.'M. King Rama VI., Queen Indrasakti Sachi and
Queen Sawang Vadhana.
w.
LOUIS
DUPLA'I'RE.-ESSAI
AU SIAM.-LYON,
A.
;REY,
H.
SUit LA CONDITION
1923, 112
PP., IN
8
lVlUNDTE.
DE LA FEMME
VO.
NAI CrruNJ~ 0HARUVAS1'RA.-l.u\ FORMATION
nu
MARlAGE ET
LA :PUISSANOl~ MARl'l'ALE EN DJWlT SIAI.~OIS,-PAJUS, GIARD,
PP., IN
8
1022, 260
YO.
Les etudes concernant b situation de la femme siamoise, encore si rares, se sont enrichies rece1i1ment de deux interessantes contributions publiees en fran9ais an cours de l'annee 1922, sons forme de
theses, par M. Louis Duplatre et Nai Chune Oharuvastra, taus deux
docteurs en droit et fonctionnaires du Ministere cl0 la Justice.
L'ouvrage de M. Dnplatre est un excellent "Essai sur la Oonditiop. de la fe).llme au Siam." I1 comporte 11ne double etude claire
et complete sur sa situation hors du mariage et dans le mariage, cc
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qui a conduit l'auteur a examiner, d'une faqon generale, les regles
qui regissent l'institution l:natrimoniaJe, y compris ]e regime des
biens et leR droits successor·aux des eponx. Oct onvrage, realisant
done entierement la promesse de son titre, donne en rerdite un
aperc;u de !'organisation du ma,riage siamoiR. L'auteu'1· y a indiqne
"COmbien il semit iut:;ressant d'arriver a l'enregiRtl'Cll1L'l1t des mariages eomme condition de leur va1iclite officielle vis-a-vis des tiers,
et c'est, parmi les solutions pour lesqnelles il manifesto des preferences personnelles, nne de cellos ou tout le monde pent-etre entierement d'accorcl avec lui: cette reforme, qui ne toucher en rien
d'aillenrs II; l'heureuse conception simnoise du rnari11ge considere
exclusivement comme un contrat civil d'ordre prive , est certninement l'une de cellos qui se realiserait le plus utilement au
Siam. L'auteur a eu egalement raison de mettre en lumiere
la necessiM d'une precision et peut-etre d'une souplesse plus consicl.irables dans les re.gimes matrimoniauX: tm1is on doit toutefois retcnir que ]'institution des Hin-cloeum :biens appartenant ala femme
av11nt lc mariage, ne tombant pas en communaute et administres par
elle) est, dans le regime Iega,l actuel, une indication fort interessante
des tendances siamoises ; celles-ci conservent autant que possible aux
epoux leur individualite d'associes libres, au lieu de leur imposer
de preference la fiction legaJe d'une communaate et d'une confusion
qui ne pent que Jes diminuf.'r et que ]es auteurs COnRiderent aVeC
juste raison comme un corollaire de 1a puissn,nce maritale souveraine
des temps pn,sses.
La these de Nai Ohune Oharuvastra merite avant tout cot
eloge cl'avoir ete, par un Siamois, ecrite et soutenue en franQais
elegant et correct. O'est un ouvrage fort complet qui comprend nne
partie de droit compare sur le mariage a l'6tranger (notamment en
outre uno histoire
Asie) et nne bibliogrtLphie etenclue. n contient
du mariage au Siam, qui n'avait pas enCOl'!') ete tentee. L' etude de la
presente legislation maritale est un expose fort complet des regles
actuelles de la loi et de la jurisprudence siamoises et de tout ce qui
concerne la formation et la celebration du maringe, la puissance du
mari, les biens matrimoniaux et leur repartition lors de la dissolution
clu ma.ria,ga. En delnrs .de cette etude de legiste, il est cedes tout
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specinJement interessn,nt do Atwoir ce que pense l'auteur de sa legislation natiouaJc et des l'eiOl'lllCH qn'elle pout necessiter. On cloit
tout d'abord le £elicitor, 11pres avoir passe plusieurs annees dans les
pays d'Occident, d'avoir resisM a la tentation de se poser en reforma, teur, import11tem· cl'une science et d'une sagcsse nouYclles, et d'avoir su
discerner 11vec a,ut11nt de respect que de logique, ce ftui precisenient
est, a la rois, nettement caracteristique et nettement digne d' eloge
clans la conception siamoise. Il a, la grande experience de mettre ses
concitoyens en garde contre les reformes hatives en uno matiere si
essentiell'ement loc11le, ct il pla.it de !'entendre citer Montesquieu
et de repeter avec lui que "c'est un tres gmnd hasard si les lois d'une
nation peuvent convenir a une autre." La notion du mariage comme
contrat conflonsuel, aim:( que ses avanta,ges, ne lui echappent point: il
en tire cette conclusion fort interessante que ce serait "fouler aux
pieds les sentiments intimes des epoux, que la, coutume siamoise 11
transrnis de generation en generation" que de £aire du mariage au
Siam un statut rigi~e, et, surtout, que de porter une main imprudente
sur les traditions nationales au benefice de reformes peut-etre pen
mftres et plus abstraites que pratiques.
On est heureux de conclure de ces etudes, avec l'un des
autem;s, M. L. Duplatre, que la situation de la femme siamoise est
bien meillenre que cello qui ]ui est faite par beaucoup d'autres
legislations asiatiques. "La. remme n'est point, au Siam, consideree
cornme un etre faible, clout l'inca.pacite necessite une protection qui
ressem ble fort a une servitude." On sait qu'un tel rep roche de passe
de beau con p los lois de l' Asie et que celles des pays d'Occident n'en
rurent point exoi"n ptes. On n'ignore pas les critiques a.dressees en
France a la puissance et a l'autorisation maritalcs, que le revolution
twait, a.vec son instinct sftr de la liberb.) individuelle, supprimees
(projet Cambaceres), et qui, retablies par le Code Civil, ont du ~tre
severement battues en breche par le~ lois recentes. On sait qu'en
Angleterro le bill dn 18 Aout 1883 (married women's property Act)
a finalement oper<~ nne veritable revolution dans le statut des
femmes mariees. L'egalite entre epoux est ?Omplete en Allemagne,
E)n Snisse, et, gen6mlement, anx Etats-Unis.
La legislation
siamoise, sans avoir certainement, da,ns le passe, observe ces lois
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etrangeres, manifesto p1•oprio ?nOt1L une preference treR nette Vel'S
un statu£ independant de la femme mariee, a cote de sa conception
definitive de l'egalite legale absolue des sexes hors du marif\.ge.
Entin la conception du mariage comme contrat civil et prive,
essentiellemeot dependant de la volonte des parties, de leur accord
mutuel en tout cas, est certainement, mtlme avec la facilite du
divorce· qui en esL la consequence logique, le progres vers lequel tend
obstiuement l'humanite. On voit que, sur bien des points, la
legislation siamoise, loin d'etre retrograde, est pluMt une conception
ouverte a toutes les idees receutes en droit matrimonialr Si la
situation de la femme siamoise est ainsi superienre a ce qu'elle est
• dans les pays· musulmans ou chinois, c'est d'ailleurs parce que son
influence personnelle et son ascendant moral sur l'homme ressem7
blent beaucoup, au Siam, a ceux qu'elle possede dans les les pays
d'Occident, et la polygamic n'y change certainement pas grand chose.
R.
GUYON.
THE HISTORY Ol!' A TRANSITION
BY
P. W.
TnoRNELY,
M.A., L. L. D., JUDGE
oF THE CouRT OF APPEAL
OF BANGKOK (SIAM).-BANGIWK, SIAM
OBSERVER, 1923.
L'ouvrage que Mr. Thorn13ly vient de publier constitne l'etucle
la plus complete de la question judiciaire que l'on ait donnee jusqu'a
ce jour. La participation du Siain c\ la grande guerre, !'existence
d'une Societe des Nations clout il est membre, la conclusion clu traite
de Lausanne abolissant au profit de la Tmqnie le regime des Capitlllations, les grands progres rf.alises ici clans l'aclministration de 111
Justice, donnent a la question clu regime judiciaire auquel sont
soumis les etrangers un caractere de partieuliere actualite. Il est
certain que le Siam ne fut janais .dans une position plus favorable
pour obtenir la suppression des tribunaux consuhi,ires encore existants
et aussi pour recuperer dans nn avenir prochain sa pleine souverainete
juridictionnelle. Le moment est done particulierement bien choisi
pour decrire la condition des etrangers, depuis les temps lointains ou
les premiers Europeens vinrent s'etablir en ce pays jusqu'U. nos jom·s:
tel est precisement l'objet du livre de M:r. Thornely.
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L'auteur a, d'ailleurs, avec juste raison, traite son sujet d'une
fa<;on tres large, appuyant son etude juridique sur l'histoire politique
et legislative et mettant son lecteur au courant de !'evolution des
institutions et des mceurs.
Dans un premier cht1pitre tres substantiel intitule: "Origines",
l'auteur resume l'histoire des premieres relations du Siam avec
le monde non asiatique anterieurement au XIXeme siecle;
il nous dit quels .furent les premiers commerya.nts etablis en
pays tha~ et nous montre, en nous resumant les anciens traites du
XVIIeme siecle, quels statuts furent elab01·es alors pour regir la
condition des etrangers.
A vee le second chapitre nous entrons dans le XIXeme siecle
et nons arrivons a l'origine proprement dite de l'exten·itorialite avec
l'octroi des privileges juridictionnels consentis par le Siam a la
Grande Bretague en 1855, ala France en 1856 et aux Etats-Unis
d'Amerique dans le m~me annee. Ces avantages ne devaient d'ailleurH
pas etre refuses peu apres a un grand nombre de Puissances. Oe
chapitre-le plus long du livre-est tres riche en renscignernents de'
toute nature, l'auteur nous decl'it en quelques pages tres neuves
l'etat de la legislation et de !'organisation judiciaire durant les
annees qui ont precede la conclusion de ces importants traites.
Le 3eme chapitre-car l'auteur s'en tient au systeme des divisions chronologiques-est consacre aux dernieres annees du XIXeme
siecle a partir de 1874. Le fait le plus marquant de cette periode
est la conclusion par la Grande Bretagr:le du traite du 3 Septt:lmbre
1883 qui, dans la region de Chiengmai, soustmit les ressortissants de
la Grande Bretagne a la juridiction consulaire britanniquc pour en
faire les justiciables d'tm tribum1l siamois organise d'une faQon
speciale.
O'est dans ce · traite qu'o.pparait la premiere ''0onr
Intemationale". Cet essui devait faire fortune puisque le regime
des Oom·s Internationales devait etre plus tarcl adopt6 comme un
regime de tr11usition par plusiems Puissances et notamment par la
Grande Bretagne en 1909.
. Mr. Thornely met en relief aussi les progres jucliciah:es ct
administratifs realises pendant la derniere ch'lcade du XIXeme siecle:
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c'est 'la creation du Ministere de la Jm;tiee en 1.802, .ot l'importante
reorganisation de !'administration eff'ectuee en 1.895.
Ce chapitre se termine sur un r1~sume de l'accorcl intervcnu
en 1899 entre la Grande Bretagne et le Siam pour ch)terminm• queUes
personnes ont le droit d'6tre inscrites sur les registrcs des consubts
britanniques. Desormais, nul ne pourra bene:ficier d'une inscription
s'il ne fait la preuve qu'il appartient a une des categories de sujets
britanniques enumeres dans cet. accord.
Nons arrivons au XXeme- siecle avec le chapit.re IV: "'rhe
beginning of the twentieth century (1901-1907)." Il convient de
noter le traite franco-siamoi~ de 1904, et les conventions passees avec
le Danemark et l'Italie en 1905. Cos trois instruments diplomatiques
fixent les conditions que devront rem1Jlir les personnes qui sollicitent
leur inscription sur les registres des consulats de ces nations. Ainsi
se trouve desormais impossible la pratique de la "protection" clout
certaines Puissances avaient use pour augmenter le nombre de leur
ressortiss11nts. Ces accords acceptent aussi le regime des Cours
Internationales clans los r~gions clu Nord m't. il avait ete dt~ja Habli
pour les ressortissants britanniques en 1883.
Le traits de 19 07 conclu a vee ·. l?' France marque pour le
Siam un proges bien plus considerable puis(1ue pom· la premiere
fois il etend, pour t-ine categoric limiteo de perSOUlleS il CRt VI'I1i,
le regime des . Cours Internationalos au territoire du Siam tout
entier. Une concession plus liberale encore est consentie, car toml
les Asiatiques insorits dans lcs consulats de France postericm·ement a la di1te du traite sont desormais places, S!111R ht. stipult>tion d'ancune garantie, sous la juridiction des tribun~1ux siamois
ordinaires.
Le chapitre V nons conduit a l'11nnec 1908: "The twentieth
century-continued (1908-1909)." O'est nne periode de prerx1ierc importance dans l'histoirc jndiciaire de ce pi1ys. Des textcs legislatifs
fondamentaux sont promulgues et le tmite · de 1909 avec h1 'Gmncle
Bretagne est signe. L'auteur etudie cos lois nouvelles: loi d'organi~:~ation judiciaire, loi cl'e Procedure Oiyile, Code Penal. Il consacre de
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longues pages au tr<llite de 1909 qui est encore a l'heure actuelle le
statut des ressortissttnts britnnniques en matiera judiciaire. II donne
sur la sibmtion juridictionnelle des societc~s britanniques commer 9ant
au Siam des indications tres precil:luses pour les juristes et les hommes
d' a{fttires.
Sous ce titre "1910 Onwards", Mr. 'Ehornely nons dt~crit les
origines immediates de la p2riocle dans laguelle nons vivons actuellemerit. Signalons le tr11ite d'extraclition avec la Grande Bretagne
conclu en 1911, le traiM avec le Danemark signe en 1913, ce clernier
document modele, a quelques variantes pres, sur le traite anglais de
1909.
Le
fait important de cette periode-outre les traites d'extenitorialite allemand et austro-hongrois aneantis p1r l'etat de guerre-est
la conclusion du traite de 1920 avec les Rtats-lhi.is cl'Amerique.
Pour la premiere fois, des etr11ngers de race blanche sont places sous
la juridiction des tribunaux siamois ordinaires, c'cst a dire de tribunaux composes excluRivement de magistrats siamois.
Oe traite de 1920 marque une ere nouvelle, il donne satisfaction a des aspimtions que les evenemcnts indiques au debut de
cette notice ont developpees et ren£orcees. L'achevement de la
codification a laquelle tons les t.taites attachent des e:ffets importants
- la suppression des Oours Intcrnationales notnmmenb - aide1•a
grandement le gonvernement siamois a meum~ a bien' l'ceuvre de
liberation qu'il a poursuivie · depuis 1883 avec uno si remarquable_
continuite.
Mr. 'l'hornely terrnine HOll livre par un chapitre_ VII intitule:
"Miscellaneo'us facts and observ11tions" dans lequel il nous fait part des
remarques qu'il a pu fairc au com's d'une carriere judiciaire de douze
annees passees a la Cour d' Appel de Bangkok. Nons ne sU:ivriins .
pas l'au.teur sur ce terrain ct ce n'est pas ici le lie~ de discuter une
a une les assertions qu'il avance. · Cependant on nons permettra de
dire que nous no sornmefl pu.s toujours d'accord avec lui et que nons
inclinons vers des opinions beaucoup plus .optimistes. Vraisembla-
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blement l'administration judiciitit:e siamoise no rcssemblem janmis
a!'administration anglaise et nous ne yoyons pas qu'il y ttit lien de lui
en !aire geief. Ohaque race a ses caracteros propres et il n'y
a pas 8, deplorer qu'il en soit .air1si. Pour nons, nons eroyons que le
jour ou la legislation siarnoise sera devenue plus homogene et plus
Rystenuttirlue, l'admiuir:;tration de Ia justice Hem en mesure
d'acquerir en pen d'annaes un degre suffisttnt de perfection pour que
los etrangars actuellement pri vilegier:; n'aient tmcune cminte a
soumettre leurs interets a la juridiction des tribunanx siamois de
droit comrnun. 'l'el a etB cl'ailleurs le sentiment clu gouvornement
des Etats-Unis.
Le livre se terrnine per des appendices eomprenant des..
documents et une table qui pennettm clans tcmLes los hypotheses ou
un etm.nger est en cause de pronver quelle er:;t 1tt juridiction competente pour juger le proces le concerniu!t. Cettc table sera un guide
tres utile pour les praticien~.
N Ollf:l conclurons en disant (rue le livre de Mt·, 'l'hornely est
un ouvmge tl'i:Js riche en ronseignements cle touto nature, autant
historiquos que juridi!ll1CS. Le resume succint qne nons en avons
fa,it ne pent en donner qu'une idee l1ien irnparfaite. Il est le fruit
de longues a.nnees cle labem et de lectmes nombreuses et etonducs;
Peut-13tre peut-cm regretter que l't1ntem· ne 1nous ait paR associes
davantage it ses recherches; nons aimerions srwoir rtnellos sourceR
il a puise, (1uels auteurs il a eonsultes, (plelles Ol1!1Uetes il a menees.
On souhaitcrait anssi cpte des t1rtiel(:JS et des ouvragcs importa,nts clejh
parllfl Stll" ce meme sujet tLient l'honllilUl' d'nne eitation. L'auteur
110 pel'drait rien do 1:\011 lllSl'ite en l10Ufl clisant !JUO d'autrefl avaien~
deja debronssaille Ie terrain Rur lequcl .il a lui-mt'nuo coqstruiii.
a
' L.
DuPLA'l'm;
Voetem· es sciences jnridi!lUes, politiques
ot eCOUOilli<lUOS,
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GEORGE CmniEs.-BRONZES Kr-DIERS
(Ans AsiATICA VoL V.)
PARII-l-BRUXELLEH, VAl\ OES'l',
1923,
'l'his en,gerly awn,itecl work, which forms the fifth volume of
the " Ars Asi11tic11" series (published by G. V:1n Oest and Cie of
Paris n,nd BrnsRels), has now appeared, and a copy haf) been k'inclly.
presented to the Library of the Si:1m Society by its distinguished
Author.
It mn.y be said at once that the work under review is a
notable addition to our knowledge of Far Eastern Art of a thousand
years ago; and that the publishers are to be congratulated upon the
style of the volume, which is dignified, the type which is admirable,
and the plates (to the number of no less than 51), which must take
rank with the finest photographic reproductions extant.
The publishers have indeed Kpared no pains to afford Professor Cmdes the fullest scope for presenting his snbj ect to the
public in the most attractive form possible.
Cambodian Bronzes have long been objects of interest and
value to Siamese collectors, and although Angkor and its surroundings are far removed from .Bangkok, these bronzes have, as the
author states, for many years part been, 'i£ not exactly numerous, at
'least cHscoverable in the many pawnshops of. the Chinese ·Quarter of
Bangkok. ~l'he interest which Siamese collectors display in Khmer
bronzes· is but natural, after all, when we consider tho close association between Cambodia and Siam before the founding of
Ayuthia in the 14th. century A. D. In addition to this, since
Cambodia has been under the protection of France, Khmer
bronzes have fortunately attracted the ·attention of a number
of French scholars and' collectors.
Until the 11ppearance of the present volume there has been,
however, no authoritative work dealing with this subject, and
Professor Ccedes, although 1in his usual modest way he disclaims any,
pretensions of having dealt ·with the matter exhaustively, may well
claim to be the pioneer of this. branch of Cambodian Art, a position
which is certainly a difficult one to fill and which, it is hoped, will
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not be forgotten when this branch has found its definite niche in the
Tempie of Far Eastern Art.
To summarise the scope of the present work, we may say that
Professor CCEdes has presented the material 11t, his disposal under the
following heads -~1) the origin of the piece,q now available; (2) the
various collections of bronze Khmer statuettes, both in Indo-China
and in Bangkok; (3) the nature of the objects; (4) the material of
which they are made; (5) the style of the statuettes; (6) their date;
(7) thcil; identification; and (8) the interest which these bronz,cs n$ord
to the student and to the collector.
As regards the origin of the statuettes, it appears . that no
definite place cttn be assigned to them as yet.
The principal collections in Indo-China are those at the Fn.r
Eastem School at I-Ianoi, and in the Museum and the Palace· at Phnom
Penh (in Cttmb)dia). In Bangkok, the finest public collections are
to be seen in the Brahmin rremple (Bot Bra,hm), in the Museum
attached to the former Palace of _ the Second King; and in
that created by. H. R. H, Prince Damrong in the Ministry o£
the Interior. In addition, there are many important and wellknown private collections.
The· great majority of the bronze statuettes now known are
connected in form either with the Hindu (Brahmin) Pantheon, or
with the Buddha and those Hindu Gods and Goddesses which lnwe
attached themselves to the Buddhist Creed. There are also, however,
various ritualistic objects to be found in the different collections.
All these objc<3ts were probn.bly in use, in the period of their manufacture, the smaller ones as household gods, and the larger for temple
and procession worship.
The material, oE which they were made, was of three kinds,
as far as is at present known, namely "rehong lu'ang" (an alloy o£
copper and zinc), "thong deng" (copper, chiefly), and "samrit ", a
mysterious composition (the ingredimts or which vary considerably),
held in high honour by the Siamese, and no doubt by the ancient
Cmnbodians also.
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213
)
Professor Orecles goes into the sn~ject of "samrit" at length,
and gives some intereRting details regarding the different compositions
to be found.
The style of Cambodian brom~es is Ii:wst distinctive ancl, as
the author states, eyen if the collector htts not sti.1clied the actual
technical dPtttils thoroughly, he should be able with ~ littlE) experience to. pick out a Cambodian bronze in a general collection without
much difficulty.
The difference between Khmer and Siamese bronzeS" is·particnlarly' noticeable. It is not possible here to enter into a description of all the different features, but the leading characteristics by
which each may be recognised are set out clearly in the .text.
The elate of these Khmer bronzes is naturally difficult to
estimate with any accuracy. It is probable that most of them may
be assigned to a pt'riod between the VIIIth and XIV centuries,
when the power of Cambodia was at its height: hut beyo!ld this
little can at present he said.
As regards their identificcdion, on the other hand, there
exist a large number of pieces which leave no doubt of their identity,
and, where possible, the nnmes of the divinities shown in the plates
have been stated. At the same time many points still remain to be
cleared up, on account of our lack of information regarding the cults
practised in ancient 0ambxlian times.
Finally, it is unnecessary to dwell upon the interest which
these bronzes have £or the student, if for no other reason than, as
Professor Ccedes states, they will no doubt help materially· in the
solution of many iconographical problems.
'fhe remainder of the letter-presA is given up to a detailed
study and description of all the figures shown in the plates, and
their collection under the different Brahminical and Buddhist forms.
In conclusion it may be hoped that the work under. review
will stimulate interest in the study of Cambodian life and art, not
only in this, but in all its other forms, so that we may gain here in
Siam a clear conception o£ the part which Cambodia played in the
formation of tryis Kingdom.
l
R. S:o
LEMAY.
(
214
)
LrsT oF CoMMON TREES, SHRUBS, ETC. IN SIAM.
Oo:t~rPILED BY PHYA VANPRUK PICHAHN, F. 1. S., 00NRERVATOR OF FOHERTS.
BANGKOK,
1922.
This book bD'ives the local and botanical nmnes of a large
number of plants found in Siam and should prove of aHsistance to
those interested in the :flora of the country, whether from a utilitarian or a scientific point of view.
'.fhere are, as might naturally be expected, some qebatable
points in the list, and a few of nhese may be mentioned :-The
botanical nume given for l"l..:.llmWfl is Gynocardia oclM·atct, though
it seems very doubtful if that species is to be found in Siam, either
.
'A
culti vatecl or wild. 'rhe famous orchid known as tfJ EJ ~ lt ':J!~, which
at one time was brought as tribute to the Cl_1iefs of Chiengmai, is
noted for its fragrance and could hardly be the species suggested,
'A
Vanda coerulect, an orchid with no marked scent; the true ltlfl~lL':l!:
seems to be a Dendrob·i1tm, perhaps the imperfectly known Dencl,,·obium .A. nclersonii. Again, Gossypium bctrbaden.se, Sea Island cot-
.
. "'
.
ton, is given as the equivalent of ~ l(l though Sea Island cotton,
seems to be rarely, if ever, cultivated in this country; the cotton
which commonly goes by this name is a kidney cotton, Go8sypium
bctrsiliense.
'
It would be an advantage if alternative Siamese names
were not placed on the same line as the first nati1e but
w.ere put in theie proper alphabetical order, where they could be
more readily looked up. Though no doubt adding considerably to
the bulk of the book it would also he a great convenience if a second
index, from l~otanica.l names to Siamese, were given.
The above remarks are made in no carping spirit but with a
view to drawing the author's attention to some possible alterations
in the event. of a second edition being called for; as with all pioneer
lists of the kind mistakes are bound to creep in:
The list mi1st represent years of inquiry in many
parts of the country. The compiler may be assured that, even i£ he
(
215
)
himself does not issue a second edition, the present list is a valuable
ccntrilmtion to knowledge and must be the foundation of any future
list pu:blishocl. It is to be hoped, however, that the compiler and
his coadjutors will keep acldiug to their notes on Siamese plant names
and at some future date isrme a new and enlarg.,d edition of their
list.
A. 1!,, G. K.
'rnE FLoRA o~' 'l;HE MALAY PENINSULA.
B; H. N. RIDLEY, 0. M.G., F.R.S., F.
I 1922, VoLUME II .1923.
L.
s.
LONDON, VOLUME
'l'he author of this work has devoted the greater part of his
life to the study of the flora of the Malay Peninsula and no one has
a more intimate knowledge of it than he has. 'l'he first two volumes
of his Flora l~ave now been published, one last year and one this.
If the next. three volumes, with which it is expe~ted to complete
the Flora, ttre published in equally quick succession, Mr_. Ridley will
have made an en viable record for undertakings of this kind.
'l'he area of the Flora includes the whole mainland or the
Peninsula south of Latitude 7o N. and the immediately adjacent
islands. ~l'his necessarily em braces a large slice of Siamese territory,
comprising the whole of Pattani Circle and parts of the Circles of
Nakhon St'ithammarat and Puket. On looking through the work,
however, thm;c appear very few records for Pattani, those mentioned
being 'most1y plants collected at 'l'omo by 1\1:achado, an engineer
attached· to the gold mines there many years ago. The records for
Siamese territorv on the westem side.
. arc much more numerc,us,
that region luwing been viBitecl by severn1 collectors, notably by Mr.
Hidley himself and by Mr .. Curtis, at one time managing the
Penang gardens.
~
Some interesting· information is given in tho int.rocluetion
concerning various collcct.m·H who lmv:e worked iu the 1\falay
Peninsula. Among them are a few who have u.l~o collected in Siam,
these include, beside .thef:le mentioned above, Mnrton, Robinson and
(
216
)
Kloss. The author states that Murton, previouly in charge of the
Singapore Tiotanic Gardens, died in Bangkok in 1881; ·whereas the
.l3angkok. burial register gives the date of his death as September
20th, 1882, his age being only 26. A good nmny of Murton's
plants and his manuscript Flora of Singapore lmve disappettred,
possibly they were with him in Bangkok when he died.
It is doubtful if the line dividing the flora of Siam from that
of the southern portion of the Malay Peninsula is as well marked as
suggested by Mr. Ridley. Unquestiona,bly there is a, considemble
change- in the ftom at or about the mouth o£ the Kedah River but
this change is largely edaphic, to a less extent clima,tic, and further to
the east is not so noticeable.. Many of Mr. Ridley's critical genera for
the southern part of the Peninsula lmve now been found far to the
north of the line indicated.
Descending to minor details it is noticeable that the author's
repugnance to the use of the comma often tends to ohHcm·e hiH descriptions. Misprints, too, are not uncommon.
These notes should not be closed without mentioning the particularly clear and useful illustrations scattered through the text.
They lmve been clone by Mr. J. Hutchinson.
A. F. G. K.