Pieces of Siam Pavilion from the 1893 World’s Fair Sell for $1,600

A set of fifteen carved architectural brackets, possibly from the Siam Pavilion at the 1893 World’s Fair, sold at auction for $1,600 on Mar 10, 2021. Fairfield Auction offered the interesting lot, described as coming from the Noroton Yacht Club in Darien, CT, which had obtained them “reportedly from Siamese exhibit at 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago.”

Siam (the former name of Thailand) hosted many different pavilions at the 1893 World’s Fair. The most ornate was housed inside the Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building, nestled in the southwest corner of the enormous exhibit hall. The structure had “somewhat the form of a pagoda, such as are to be seen on the banks of the Menam,” according to a promotional booklet from the Siamese government, with “a graceful construction, inlaid with variegated glass, and has an artistic and at the same time a very rich appearance.” The finely craved brackets sold at auction seem most consistent with coming from this pavilion, though an obvious match is not visible in the several available photographs of this exhibit.

Siam also exhibited in the Woman’s Building, which housed a “cozy little pavilion” hosted by Mrs. Phra Suryia, and in the Agricultural Building, in which stood a lovely white and gold pavilion exhibiting food and plant products from Siam.

In the Forestry Building stood a exhibit space promoting teak woods and other forestry products from Siam, while the Transportation Building housed a Siamese exhibit of “samples of every means of conveyance employed in Siam.” A collection of costumes and games from Siam was featured in the nation’s exhibit in the Anthropology Building.

SOURCES

Mayer, Frédéric Siamese Exhibits at the World’s Columbian Exposition. 1893.