Nora Bead Crafting in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand: A Cultural Reproduction for Sustainability

Abstract

The Nora show started in 1820, using Nora beads to decorate the Nora costumes. Today, Nora beads are created as crafts for ornament in response to the needs of society and consumers. However, due to the changes affecting the social and economic aspects, the preservation and maintenance of crafts like Nora are crucial for sustainability. This article, which is part of a larger study on “Nora Bead Crafting: Cultural Capital and Creative Folklore”, is designed as analytical descriptive research with qualitative data analysis. The data for this study was collected using in-depth interviews and focus group discussions participated by Nora bead crafters in Muang District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. The findings revealed that Nora, a local performing art of the Southern part of Thailand, preserved and maintained the Nora identity and numerous belief systems. The crafters designed their products by changing the colours, shapes, and patterns and using the materials in stringing or embroidering the beads. The creation of the Nora beads in these new ways is considered a reproduction of culture in four aspects—production, dissemination, consumption, and reproduction.