Carl Bock – Temples and Elephants

In the latter half of the 19th century, most of the world had been mapped. European countries acquired colonies, and Western companies were chasing profits around the world. Museums, world exhibitions, and zoos showcased 'exotic' objects, animals, and people. Newspapers and magazines featured thrilling tales from explorers, scientists, and missionaries, inspiring many to embark on their own journeys.

One of these was the Norwegian adventurer and collector Carl Alfred Bock. Between 1878 and 1882, he embarked on two exploratory journeys to Southeast Asia, writing travel accounts of his experiences for a curious Western audience. 

In 1884, his travelogue Temples and Elephants was published in London, documenting his expedition in Northern Thailand during 1881–1882. The book continues to be reprinted in Thailand, and the National Library in Bangkok is currently hosting an exhibition on Carl Bock to commemorate the 140th anniversary of his work.

The Expedition in Siam 

This exhibition showcases a beautiful, ancient Buddha figure that he collected during his travels in Siam, modern-day Thailand, in 1882. King Chulalongkorn provided him with boats and elephants to facilitate his journey, which spanned from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and onward toward the present-day border with Myanmar.

Along the way, Bock collected ancient Buddha figures from temple ruins against the will of the local population, who feared that the spirits would be disturbed, as he noted in his accounts. In 1883, he sold the collection to the Ethnographic Museum, which is now part of the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo. In addition to several Buddha figures, the collection includes silver bracelets, coins, knives, garment parts, pipes, paintings, and ceramics. During his expeditions, he made several choices and judgments that would be considered unethical by today's standards.

The collection is managed by the Museum of Cultural History, which the Historical Museum is a part of. The Thai authorities have not requested the return of the items to Thailand.

A Man of His Time 

Bock was a man of his time. He, and the audience he wrote for, understood the world differently than we do today. As a European, he regarded himself as superior to people in other parts of the world. At the same time, he supported an independent Thailand at a time when France and England were competing to colonize Southeast Asia. 

In the mini-exhibition, you will explore his fascinating life, from his birth into a merchant family in Kristiansand, a town in the south of Norway, in 1849 to his death in Brussels, Belgium, in 1932.

Thailand and Norway – Close Connections

Carl Bock's expedition was not the only connection between Thailand's King Chulalongkorn and the country far to the north. In his navy, he employed several Norwegians. In 1905, he sent a congratulatory telegram to King Haakon VII of Norway to recognize Norway's independence from Sweden.

Just two years later, the king visited the country. He was on his second European tour and spent the entire month of July in Norway. The journey was made by boat, horse, and railway, and the king and his large entourage got to experience this elongated country from Flekkefjord in the south to Nordkapp in the north. The memory is preserved on the 100 baht note, where we see King Chulalongkorn sitting in a car with Director of Norsk Hydro, Sam Eyde in Notodden. The king's letter from the journey was collected in the well-known book Klai Ban, or Far from Home.