Subhadradis Discul

Prince Subhadradis Diskul ( Thai หม่อมเจ้า สุ ภัทร ดิ ศ ดิ ศ กุล , RTGS Mom Chao Suphatthradit Ditsakun , pronunciation: [sùʔpʰáttʰráʔdìt dìtsàʔkun] ; *  November 23, 1923 in Bangkok ; †  November 6, 2003 ibid.) Was a Thai art historian and archaeologist .

Life

Family and education

Subhadradis was a son of Prince Damrong Rajanubhab and thus a grandson of King Rama IV (Mongkut). As the son of a prince and a commoner, he had the lowest rank of Thai prince, Mom Chao . His father was also a historian and is regarded as the "father of (modern) Thai historiography".

Subhadradis went to school at Vajiravudh boarding school, studied English, history and pedagogy at Chulalongkorn University until 1943 and then went into civil service for the Ministry of Education . There he initially worked in primary and secondary education, later he moved to the Fine Arts Department and in 1947 became head of the archives and the Prince Damrong Library, which administered his father's books and records. In 1948 he went on a three-month educational trip to museums and archaeological sites in Great Britain with funding from the British Council . His further training in archeology and art history began at the instigation of the orientalist George Cœdès , who specializes in Southeast Asia, at the École du Louvre in Paris with Philippe Stern , who was the first to correctly date the Khmer works of art in Cambodia . He was the first Thai scientist who received formal training in these subjects in western countries. After completing his studies in Paris in 1951, Subhadradis went to London , where he trained in archaeological methodology at the Institute of Archeology at the University of London . His Ph.D. he broke off, however, according to his own statements, because he did not get on well with his doctoral supervisor.

Scientific activity

After returning to Thailand in 1953, Subhadradis became a curator in the archeology department of the Fine Arts Department. Since then he has successfully researched countless Thai cultural and archaeological treasures in the country. In addition, he was responsible for the establishment of various national museums in Thailand and initiated the study of archeology and art history in the country. In 1964 he became the first Thai professor of archeology and at the same time dean of the archaeological faculty at Silpakorn University in Bangkok. In 1976 he became head of the Graduate School of Silpakorn University (until 1981) before being appointed its rector in 1982, which he remained until 1986.

In 1980 he became Chairman of the Historical Society of Thailand and in 1990 Vice President of the Siam Society , the country's most important academic non-governmental organization. From 1987 to 1992 he was director of the Regional Center for Archeology and Fine Arts of the Organization of Southeast Asian Ministers of Education (SEAMEO-SPAFA). In 1994 he was awarded the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize. For his services he was made a Knight of the French Legion of Honor , received the Grand Cordon (special level) of the White Elephant Order and the Order of Chula Chom Klao first class.

Subhadradis has documented his work in many publications. His book Art in Thailand: A brief history has appeared in many editions and is considered a standard work.

Subhadradis Diskul died on November 6, 2003 in Bangkok.

Works (selection)

• Guide to ancient monuments in Lopburi. Bangkok 1961.
• Trésors d'art de Thailande. Paris 1964.
• Kind in Thailand. A brief history. Bangkok 1970 (1st edition).
• The sculpture of Thailand. (Co-author with Theodore Bowie, AB Griswold ). New York 1972.
• Sukhothai Art. Bangkok 1978.
• Thailand. ( Archaeologia mundi series ; co-author with Pisit Charoenwongsa). Geneva / Paris / Munich 1978.
• The Art of Śrīvijaya (Editor). Kuala Lumpur / Paris 1980.
• History of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Bangkok 1989.
• Hindu gods at Sukhodaya. Bangkok 1990.

literature

• Obituary of the Silpakorn University (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Elisabeth A. Bacus & Rasmi Shoocongdej (eds.): Southeast Asian Archeology International Newsletter ( MS Word ; 135 kB), Issue No. 16, January 2004 (English)
2. ↑ ^{a b} Profile: MC Subhadradis Diskul , Fukuoka Prize 1994.
3. ↑ MC Subhadradis Diskul: Commemorative Lecture. Fukuoka Prize 1994.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Obituary Prince Subhadradis Discul. ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The  archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Silpakorn University Journal of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts , Volume 3, 2003.

Note on Thai names : This article addresses people by their first name.