Vine made bags has been present at the Thai royal court since the early Rattanakosin era, carried north to Mueang Krung from the gardens of the south, woven into objects for those who understood what the material was. Politea works with the same vine, the same craft, and the same values.
Southern aristocrats who brought it to the royal court. By the reign of King Rama V had become a coveted object, ladies of the court and noblemen ordering pieces in quantity from the artisans of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Her Majesty Queen Sirikit established training programmes, purchasing pieces for sale and elevating vine craft from regional tradition to national. Encouraged southern communities to cultivate the vine ensuring what was taken from the earth was also returned to it.
At School in Na Kien District, a process on how to weave has been taught to children aged from 10 – 15 years old. The pride of vinemade basketry producer is to create and pass on the knowledge to young generation
As modernisation swept through Thailand, the demand for this handcraft, like many traditional arts receded. Replaced by fabrics that could be manufactured overnight. What had taken generations to learn was set aside.
Carried by H.M. Queen Suthida of Thailand at the crowning of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
