Khamphouy with offerings at a pagoda on the Lao New Year

Photographer

Halpern, Joel M. (Joel Martin), 1929-

Date

• 1957

Summary

• This Lao woman is carrying a variety of objects to the temple with her. The conical ornament is made from banana and other kind of leaves, and is called a "mak beng." It is a symbolic representation of a "that", or reliquary for Buddhist artifacts. The silver dish is used to carry offerings, and to receive holy water as the monks chant. This woman is from a high status family in Luang Prabang. She married Halpern's interpreter, a Thai named Aram Udol who graduated from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.