Elephant Photo Albums

Saa paper photo album, Siam White Elephant

The elephant's proud profile adorns this natural photo album, an ever-present symbol in Thai culture. Nupin Manotham gracefully arranges engraved nickel plates, as an implicit diagonal line offers distinctive aesthetic allure to the cover. She uses handmade saa paper to create stunning texture, interrupted by soothing golden flecks. The album comes with small paper corners for adhering photos to the paper, 18 pages in total. Holds 144 4x6 inch photos. As each piece is crafted individually by hand, there may exist slight variations in the colors and patterns.

Saa paper photo albums, Elephant in the Garden (pair)

Natural leaves and flowers adorn these handmade photo albums by Fongkham Lahpinta. Crafted from textured saa (mulberry bark) paper, they feature whimsical elephant figurines. Each has 18 pages to display 72 4x6 inch pictures. The cover closes by looping hemp cord around a tamarind twig.

Saa paper photo album, Working Elephant

Tethered to a pole, this image represents the working elephant of Thailand. Swirling textures gracefully course through its body, as fierce horns suggest the creature's incredible power. Nupin Manotham crafts the photo album from handmade saa paper, offering a delicate natural accent. The album comes with small paper corners for adhering photos to the paper, consisting of 18 pages in total. Fits 144 4x6 inch photos in total. Saa paper has been handmade in Thailand for over 700 years from the bark of the mulberry tree, often used in the creation of Buddhist scripts, temple decorations, umbrellas, fans, and kites. The smallest branches produce the highest quality bark, and because the mulberry is a fast-growing species, the branches, once cut, are quickly replenished and can be cut again the following year, while the tree itself lives its natural course. The mulberry bark is saturated in clear water and boiled along with several kinds of ashes in large cauldrons over a naked flame, thus softening the fibers. Manotham adds dyes if necessary and the fibers are beaten to a pulp with mallets until tender. Once hand-sifted with a screen, the fibers are spread out and allowed to dry in the sun for about 20 minutes, after which the paper can easily be peeled off the screen. As each piece is crafted individually by hand, there may exist slight variations in the colors and patterns.