Vue & Description de la Ville de Siam des Pagodes, des Talapoin’s ou Religieux de ce pais, des Balons de Roi & De ses Elephans…

The aristocratic culture of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in modern-day Thailand.

“View & Description of the City of Siam, the Pagodas, the Talapoin’s [Monks] or Religion of this Country, the King’s Balloons & its Elephants…” – Approximate title translation. This beautiful collection of scenes presents the contemporary European understanding of the Kingdom of Siam towards the end of the 17th century, near the height of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. The king’s royal barges, still an important tradition in Thailand, are noted in several spots, along with the use of elephants, local fauna (including the betel nut), and cultural/religious habits. The upper right presents a temple in the capital of Ayutthaya, probably Wat Chaiwatthanaram.

The copperplate-engraved sheet was originally published in Paris as part of Henri Abraham Chatelain’s important Atlas Historique. This monumental seven-volume set was first issued in Amsterdam between 1705 and 1720. The scholarly, but approachable, work was aimed at a broad audience, eager for new information during the Age of Enlightenment. The breadth of content offers a nuanced synthesis of geography, cosmography, history, religion, ethnology, and political science. Descriptive text (in French) and skillfully engraved maps, diagrams, and illustrations provide a fascinating window into the world of the early 18th century.