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The mass production of objects is inextricably linked to present-day saints. These objects include such items as photographs, posters, badges, and statuettes with the image of the venerated person. Regardless of the secular or religious background of the cult, portraits clearly have a potential that meets a very fundamental need of devotees. However, the common appearance of a person’s portrait does not necessarily indicate sanctity or popularity, as the massive display of the leaders’ images in dictatorships (e.g., Stalin, Kim Il-sung, Saddam Hussein) may demonstrate—but the power holder’s display of portraits probably stems from the same particular potential of a person’s image. Portraits are, to follow Marin (1988), powers of presence. In Marin’s study concerning the representation of the absolute monarchy through portraits of Louis XIV, as well as in modern forms of absolutism, the image presented is the power of the state. When studying cults that emerge independently of any state or other central institution there is an issue as to what is provided by the presence of portraits and images. Here I will address this question by tracing local concepts about the powers of the portraits of one particular Thai saint, King Chulalongkorn the Great, king of Siam from 1868 until 1910.1 He is the object of a nationwide personality cult that began in the late 1980s. A MYRIAD OF PORTRAITS To the eye, the cult of King Chulalongkorn is most manifest through the innumerable quantity of King Chulalongkorn portraits. The king’s portraits are found all over the country but particularly in urban areas. Wherever one goes—of¤ces, restaurants, shops, private homes, temples, spirit shrines, railway stations, or other public buildings—there is always an image of the king and generally as a portrait or statuette. 3 Presence of the King The Vitality of the Image of King Chulalongkorn for Modern Urban Thailand Irene Stengs Portraits may be obtained at one of the many “portrait shops” selling framed copies of photographs and paintings of historical kings, members of the present royal family, and famous monks. In the city of Chiang Mai I counted 20 such shops, and even in the smallest provincial town there is at least one shop. King Chulalongkorn’s portrait is more abundant than those of any other king or monk in these shops. Furthermore, a wide range of objects such as clocks, necklaces , coffeepots, key rings, stickers, embroidery patterns, and even jigsaw puzzles bearing the image of the king are also for sale. King Chulalongkorn objects are found at markets and in bookstores, department stores, fancy fairs, temple shops, and amulet markets. They are also available through the many door-to-door statuette vendors, from children selling homemade King Chulalongkorn stickers in restaurants, and in the mail-order catalogs. In addition, organizations such as banks and the army regularly issue King Chulalongkorn images in a variety of forms, including King Chulalongkorn commemorative coins or statuettes that may be either for sale or distributed free at a special event. The profusion of King Chulalongkorn portraits raises a question regarding needs they satisfy. Why do so many Thai possess King Chulalongkorn portraits? What is the role of these King Chulalongkorn portraits in his cult? What meanings do these King Chulalongkorn images carry for those who possess them? As the material presented will demonstrate, the role and meaning of portraits can be understood only in the context of the narratives that exist about the king.2 THE GREAT BELOVED KING Similar to the mass reproduction of portraits, King Chulalongkorn narratives are endlessly reproduced in a wide range of media. The narratives are taught in schools as part of the history curriculum, they appear time and again in popular magazines and books, and they are retold in radio and television broadcasts. Of equal importance is their recon¤rmation in the daily experiences of many of the more dedicated worshipers. The experiences of these worshipers, particularly spiritual encounters with the king, may themselves live on as narratives. In the course of such encounters the king acts and speaks in accordance with the patterns established in narratives, as the cases below demonstrate. The body of King Chulalongkorn stories consists of several major narratives, each representing a different theme from the king’s biography and addressing particular emotions. Since each of these narratives depicts the king in one of his particular capacities, they can be regarded as “narrated portraits.” This chapter will demonstrate the vital, intrinsic connection between pictorial portraits...

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