Puranakata: Artistic Innovation from Flora toward the Design of Decorative Patterns in Contemporary Lanna Buddhist Art Based on the Concept of Community Cultural Capital

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) examine the historical background and patterns of botanical motifs associated with the Puranaghata vessel in Lanna culture; 2) design and create Puranaghata gold-leaf stencil paintings to preserve Lanna art; and
3) evaluate the transfer of knowledge and the creative process of artistic innovation for contemporary Lanna Buddhist art. The study employed a research and development approach integrating qualitative, quantitative, and action research methods. The key informants consisted of 20 participants, including scholars, local wisdom holders, artists, and Lanna craftsmen. The quantitative sample comprised 50 participants who attended the knowledge-transfer activities. The research instruments included a semi-structured interview form, a discussion record form, an achievement test, and an evaluation form. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis, while quantitative data were analyzed using the mean, standard deviation, and pre- and post-training comparisons.

The findings revealed that: 1) the Puranaghata motif symbolizes abundance and the worship of the Triple Gem and appears in stucco, wood carving, glass mosaic, and gold-leaf stencil work. Its applications can be classified into three categories: floral vessels for the worship of the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha; 2) at least 30 Puranaghata line patterns were synthesized and further developed into no fewer than 10 functional contemporary Buddhist art products; and 3) the participants’ evaluation results increased from a moderate level before the training (=3.38, S.D.=0.29) to the highest level after the training ( =4.51, S.D.=0.89). The post-training scores were significantly higher than the pre-training scores. These findings demonstrate that a cultural capital-based approach can effectively promote the preservation, development, and transmission of Lanna art in a concrete and sustainable manner.