Tai Magic

Tai Magic is a superbly illustrated book that introduces manuscripts, textiles and talisments associated with the supernatural. Within the context of Tai cosmology and numerology, Theravada Buddhism and spirit religion, the book examines how good and bad spirits are represented in figurative illustrations and how mystical diagrams and spells are formulated to bring good luck and protection or cause bad luck. Extensive field work studies over a period of four years were conducted in the Shan States and in northern Thailand. Using her field notes and photographs Susan Conway provides a colourful picture of the people who create magic and explains how mystical remedies are prescribed and the rituals involved. The author includes comparative material from museum collections in the USA, UK and Thailand.

About the Author

Susan Conway is an author specializing in the arts and culture of Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, and Burma (Myanmar). Susan studied fine art as an undergraduate, and her Ph.D. was a study of the history and culture of Lanna (northern Thailand). More recently, she became fascinated with healing practices and the magico-religious power of chants, spells, and rituals. She is an artist whose work is based on Thailand’s landscapes and murals paintings.