There was a time when the great Siamese Kings who ruled in what is now Thailand waged war for an extraordinary purpose: to capture as many artists and artisans as possible. The conquerors rarely sought glory for themselves, nor did they want their artists to produce anything novel. The art of few nations has been as changeless as that of Thailand, and yet each century has managed to seem as fresh as the last.
Last week, under the guidance of Prince Subha-dradis Diskul, curator of the National Museum in Bangkok, Manhattan's Metropolitan Museum was setting up the first major exhibition of the...