By: Biba Vilayleck and Baj Strobel
Publisher/Year: Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden, 2011
ISBN: 9789932000159
Price: $40USD
Until I saw this book I suppose I never truly realized how ingrained the use of flowers and plants are in Lao religious ceremonies and the meaning that they carry. If you've grown up around such things in Lao culture, you probably wouldn't question it or even stop to really think about it. This book made me think. It certainly made me appreciate how plants and, in particular, flowers are utilized in Laos. With its plentiful and beautiful photos, illustrations and insightful text, it goes into many areas providing extensive background and understanding of why, how, and which flowers are used and for what occasion or purpose.
For example, it shows how flower designs permeate temple art and motifs, to how fruits are used, to how bai lan (palm leaf) is utilized, to the flowers that are used for specific occasions like a sukuan or perhaps during a death ceremony. It also lists all plants and flowers by their botanical name, in Lao and French. It covers all that and much more!
The writers are with the Pha Tat Ke Botanical Garden (pha-tat-ke.com). This wonderfully informative book took 2 years to complete. In it, 140 plants described, 304 pages, and 339 illustrations. Full table of contents are noted below. I highly recommend this book. And yes it is in French with some Lao. Alors avec espoir, vous pouvez lire en français!
Table of Contents
- Préface p.8
- Introduction p.11
- Les temples dans la ville p.13
- Vientiane capitale, une ville à la campaigne p.14
- Plan des tamples du centre-ville p.20
- Le temple monastère p.22
- Notes de terrain; trois lieux de culte aujourd'hui p.30
- Les fleurs dans la vie religieuse et sociale p.32
- Une societé du végétal p.33
- Les fleurs de la dévotion p.35
- Le sens de l'offrande p.41
- Les fleurs dans l'espace rituel p.47
- Les fleurs du culte p.57
- Les choix des fleurs p.62
- Changements et évolution p.65
- Métamorphoses p.67
- Écouter l'encens p.69
- D'or et d'argent p.74
- De rouge et de blanc p.76
- Feuilles et fruits, fécondité et alliance p.79
- Les arbres indices du sacré p.89
- L'artisanat religieux les supports de l'offrande p.99
- Temples et forêt p.113
- Notes de trerrain: ambiance végétale p.123
- L'art et le décor p.126
- Mémoire et patrimoine p.127
- Art et dévotion p.130
- L'image et son décor p.134
- L'école des motifs p.138
- Notes de terrain: consécration de statues du Bouddha p.169
- Conclusion p.172
- Phytominie vernaculaire p.176
- Index des noms scientifiques p.182
- Glossaire des termes lao p.188
- Bibliographie p.195
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