Chris,
Thanks for the additional detail information... fascinating. Reminds me of this book:
Treasures of Two Nations: Thai Royal Gifts to the United States of America by Lisa McQuail, (published in 1997 by: Asian Cultural History Program, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560-0112, USA)
http://www.mnh.si.edu/treasures/frameset_bookorders.htm