Lomphok

The Ayutthayan ambassador Kosa Pan wearing the lomphok (1686)

The lomphok (Thai: ลอมพอก, pronounced [lɔ̄m.pʰɔ̂ːk]; literally, "piled up and layered-wrapped head cover")[1] is a ceremonial headgear of Thailand, historically worn by royalty and nobility. It is a tall pointed hat, made of white cloth wrapped around a bamboo frame. The lomphok is believed to have been adapted from the turbans of Safavid-dynasty Persia during the Ayutthaya period, and its use is extensively documented by European writers who came into contact with Siam during the reign of King Narai.[2] In particular, its use by Kosa Pan and the other diplomats of the embassy to the court of Louis XIV in 1686 became a sensation in French society.[3] Today, the lomphok can be seen worn by officials in the Royal Ploughing Ceremony and royal funeral processions.

## Gallery[edit]

* Kosa Pan wearing lomphok, 1686

* Claude de Forbin wearing Ayutthayan mandarin dress with lomphok

* Ayutthayan diplomats wearing lomphok in Versailles, 1686

* Siamese embassadors wearing lomphok, 1686

* Funeral officials wearing lomphok escorting Bhumibol Adulyadej's urn, October 2017

* Similar headdress in Cambodia

## References[edit]

1. ^ The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Siamese Hat of Rank and Case (Lompok)". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
2. ^ Wattanasukchai, Sirinya (5 September 2012). "Hat trick&beyond". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
3. ^ Benson, Sarah (2011). "European Wonders at the Court of Siam". In Bleichmar, Daniela; Mancall, Peter C. (eds.). Collecting across cultures material exchanges in the early modern Atlantic world. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 160\. ISBN 9780812204964.