The Lanna Art demonstrates the continuation with the art before the Lanna Period or Chiang Saen'. The art in this period started its formation since the time of King Meng Rai the ...

The Lanna Art demonstrates the continuation with the art before the Lanna Period or Chiang Saen'. The art in this period started its formation since the time of King Meng Rai the Great, who was the 25th king of the Lao Dynasty in 1261 AD. The city of Nopburi Sri Nakhon Ping Chiang Mai was the capital in 1296 AD. The study in the field of art history reveals that the Lanna Art can be divided into 4 periods. They are 1st Period-the Establishment of the Kingdom (1261-1355 AD), 2nd Period-the Prosperity of the Kingdom (1355-1547 AD), 3rd Period-the Burmese Colonial State (1558-1774 AD) and 4th Period-the Thai Colonial State (1774-1939 AD).
The upper northern area of Thailand is the center of different families of artisans, which has been affected by the political and environmental realms. Thus, the Lanna Art can be divided into the following artisan families:

>1. The artisan family from the capital of Chiang Mai (13th-20th centuries AD),
>2. The Chiang Saen artisan family of Lanna period (14th-18th centuries AD),
>3. The Chai Prakarn and Fang artisan families (15th-18th centuries AD),
>4. The Nan artisan family (14th-19th centuries AD),
>5. The Haripunchai Artisan family of Lanna period (14th-18th centuries AD),
>6. The Phrae and Lampang artisan families (15th -18th centuries AD) and
>7. The Phayao artisan family (15th-18th centuries AD),

Therefore, the Lanna Art, the northern art of Thailand, is relatively difficult to classify in comparison with the arts from different smaller kingdoms within the Thai Kingdom.