Prakuam: Local knowledge commodification and preservation of Khmer silverware techniques and objects in Surin Province of Thailand

Abstract

Drawing on ethnographic research, this paper examines the background and commodification of Prakuam as a cultural heritage among Khmer ethnic communities in Surin Province, Thailand. The study was guided by a key informant, Lung Puan Jiewthong, a master silversmith selected from Chok Village in Khawao-Sinarin District, Surin Province, along with secondary data. The findings provide detailed insights into the backgrounds and cultural identities of the inhabitants of these ethnic communities. Prakuam refers to methods and styles of silverware-making that have been practiced over hundreds of years. Some silversmiths can trace their lineages to artist communities that existed during the Khmer Empire; local knowledge and techniques have been, and continue to be, transmitted from generation to generation. Prakuam objects and patterns manifest local identities and beliefs, with silver holding essential meanings and functions in Surin Province, particularly in the silverware-making village of Khwao Sinarin. Present-day silver products from Khwao Sinarin are consumed both locally and nationally. The popularity of Prakuam has spread, in part, due to craft promotion programs like One Tambon One Product (OTOP), which have significantly impacted community life in Surin Province. However, the emphasis on economic survival in a globalized world has diluted the significance of local cultural practices and meanings associated with Prakuam. A sizable portion of the belief system is lost when Prakuam is viewed solely as a market commodity, and OTOP programs fail to actively foster sustainable cultural preservation. The findings emerging from this research can be used to craft holistic, contextually-appropriate cultural preservation policies that are responsive to the dynamics of today's society.