Soldier’s Jacket (Su’a Senakut)
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.This tunic is a rare survivor of the type worn by the King of Siam’s royal guard. Indian dyers carefully painted the garment’s pattern onto uncut cloth, which was later tailored in Thailand. A Chinese-style cloud collar—symbolizing protection—appears above the fearful face of a grotesque demon with bulging eyes and fangs. The same face is seen in profile on each shoulder, with its jaws open wide. This Thai figure, often called Kiartimuk, is derived from the Indian planetary deity Rahu, the bringer of eclipses (“seizer of the sun and the moon”).
Artwork Details
- Title: Soldier’s Jacket (Su’a Senakut)
- Date: 18th century
- Culture: India (Coromandel Coast), for the Thai market
- Medium: Cotton (drawn resist, painted mordant, dyed)
- Dimensions: center back length: 27.2 in (69 cm); sleeve width between cuffs: 61 in (154.9 cm )
- Credit Line: Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing