FudThong is a pumpkin covered box. The meaning of FudThong is quite auspicious as it was used as a form of wealth equivalent to gold. Therefore, Thai people often brought pumpkins to offer to Buddha for them to receive blessings of wealth, happiness, and good luck.
Formerly the small pumpkin box contained skincare and face powders used on the dressing tables of female consorts or was used as a miniature accessory box. Nowadays, this intricate decorative painted covered box can be used as the invaluable keepsake urns for containing a small portion of the loved ones as Thai people contain the lord Buddha’s bone ashes and the ancestors’ ashes for worship, remembrance, and memories.
PiKul design is flower notable for its fragrance and visual aesthetic. The pattern originated in the Reign of King Rama II (1809-1824). PiKul is a big tree often grown in temples. It has high strong stalks and its shape resembles and smells like Jasmine.
The painted design on the pieces inspires and creates a unique pattern, which has been reduced in size to that of the patterns painted on the walls and post of temples, including other important ancient places called “PraJamYam” (pattern fixed for auspices), which is the name of a pattern in the figure of a flower with 4 sparkle petals placed section by section and separated by other patterns. This is believed to be auspicious and guards against demons and to bring prosperity for those important places, i.e. north, south, east, and west. It creates peace and harmony in life.
The original PiKul flower pattern is based on the repetitive trellis technique from wooden vines and was developed to include various designs and colors as the PiKul KarnTor and PiKul SakKoRad design are replaced with tropical leaves motifs, even the PiKul KaJung and PiKul KarnLeam design are replaced with geometric forms of rectangle or rhombus shapes, but the PiKul Golden design minimizes the original size of the PiKul flower which is tiny for making the delicately unique design.