Ceramic
From daily
utensils to
forms of living arts |
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| Ceramic
ware has been produced in many types for various
uses and has become an inseparable part of daily
human life since prehistoric times. In many archaeological
sites in Thailand, a large number and variety
of ceramic remains have been discovered. |
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*The elegance of ceramics |
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| According
to their sources of manufacture, ceramics unearthed
in Thailand are classified into two main groups:
those produced in Thailand and those produced
in foreign countries. |
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Making ceramics requires great
skills. |
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| With
the skills of ancient Thai artisans and the abundant
raw materials available in the region, the ceramics
excavated were well made. They were decorated
using a wide range of techniques and designs.
So they are ranked among the finest in the world
and its quality is remarkably distinctive. |
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A
number of archaeological sites and ancient ruins
found throughout Thailand have been excavated
to study the social and cultural conditions and
the development of communities in the past. During
that process, some sites have been disturbed,
to their detriment, either with intention or through
carelessness. Serious damage has occurred to archaeological
artifact in many sites, especially to fragile
artifact made of clay.
Clay artifact can be classified into three types,
according to the type of clay and the temperature
used in firing:
1. Earthenware is made of clay mixed with sand
or grog and has been fired at 1,100 degrees Celsius
maximum. It has either a rough and rather thick
texture or fine and rather thin texture with many
tiny holes. When it is rapped, it sounds dull.
The clay used here, easily found in this region,
maybe reddish, light brown, light grey, dark grey
or beige and may be coated or uncoated. |
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 Fine
earthenware is produced at Ko Kret, Nonthaburi
province. |
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2.
Stoneware is made of clay mixed with kaolin and
feldspar, which has been fired at 1,200 degrees
Celsius minimum until it is completely burnt and
becomes Vitreousware. This ware is more
durable and impervious because the clay's elements
are amalgamated. The colours of the enamels include
green, brown, white, black and dual colours.
3. Porcelain is Vitreousware which requires
special preparation by mixing kaolin with ball
clay, feldspar and flint. It is fired at 1,300
degrees Celsius minimum and is strong, thin, translucent,
glass-like and impervious. The clay artifacts
found in Thailand are mostly earthenware and stoneware,
since these were locally produced. Meanwhile translucent
ware (porcelain) was almost all imported. |
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Major
ceramic sites in Thailand |
| One
of the most important ancient ceramic sites in
Thailand is in Ban Chiang. It is located in the
Korat Plateau in north-eastern Thailand, where
a large quantity of fine pottery several thousand
years old were found. Before the discovery, this
area was thought to be an uncivilized backwater,
although it actually possessed a highly developed
culture that had a great impact on the whole region.
The deepest levels of Ban Chiang can be dated
to B.C. 3600. |
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Unearthed
artifacts of Ban Chiang archaeological site
at Ban Chiang National Museum, Udon Thani, reveal
the grandeur of ancient arts. |
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The
early pots are undecorated or have simple pressed
or incised patterns. The ones from later periods
are superbly shaped vessels of buff colour clay
decorated with swirling, fingerprint-like designs.
Besides pots, Ban Chiang also made many types
of ceramics such as vases, jars, animal figurines,
ladles, crucibles, phalli, spindle whorls and
beads.
Besides that, unglazed, low-fired pottery has
also been found at other sites throughout Thailand.
One of the major sites is at Ban Kao in Kanchanaburi
province, central Thailand, where distinctive
earthenware pieces including tripod vessels with
hollow tapering legs were excavated. Another site
with particular fine examples was unearthed in
the 1980's at Ban Prasat, which is typically in
black or red clay. The pieces have less decoration
than Ban Chiang, but the shapes are equally distinctive. |
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Sangkhalok ware of Sukhothai |
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| In
the period of Sukhothai kingdom, the great Thai
King Ramkhamhaeng was believed to bring potters
from China to set up the famous Sukhothai Kiln.
The quality of the ceramics improved during the
period of early 14th century as Sukhothai established
itself as one of the more important Thai kingdoms.
At that time, the demand for fine ceramics from
ceremonial use to building materials increased
greatly. It is estimated that there were 600-800
kilns built over the centuries throughout the
region. |
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*Designs influenced by the
beauty of nature |
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However,
the kilns of Si Satchanalai are believed by some
to have started even before Sukhothai kilns, perhaps
as early as the 10th century. Their domestic ware
including earthenware, unglazed stoneware, Mon
ware, underglazed black, celadons, brown ware
and white ware.
The great years of the ceramic industry of Thailand
clearly fell between the 14th century and the
middle of the 16th century. In the meantime, it
was a period of great prosperity both for Ayutthaya
and Lanna in the north of Thailand. During a large
Burmese attack in 1569, many constructions were
destroyed and resulted in the end of the great
Sukhothai ceramic industry. New kilns were built
at Singburi around the year 1600 but produced
only coarse utilitarian goods. Many types of earthenware
and stoneware were made in Singburi during the
Ayutthaya period. The typical Singburi ware was
jars with loop handles, covered with a lacklustre
brown glaze.
Today, there are many types of ceramic products
in Thailand that are well-khown for their distinctive
beauty. The prime products include:
Stoneware
Stoneware is another type of ceramic or pottery
which is produced in matte finish in muted colours.
Since the 10th century, stoneware has been common
to the various cultures of Thailand and has been
one of the main container materials.
Some obvious examples are water jugs, cooking
pots, storage bins and other utensils, decorative
stoneware vases and bowls. The development of
stoneware in Thailand was the result of a combination
of cultures at different periods in history.
Celadon
The north of Thailand is famous for celadon, both
historically and up to the present day. It is
another form of glazed stoneware which became
famous at a very early date. The word 'celadon'
is derived from the Sanskrit language and means
green-glazed stone. |
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Celadon,
the ware of a characteristic
colour and a cracked texture |
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Besides its typical colour of green, Thai artisans
also produce pieces with glazes of golden brown,
bronze, and subtle tints of blue as well. Celadon
is classified as high-fired stoneware, fired in
wood-fired kilns. The green-coloured glaze is
achieved by a mixture of wood ash being fired
into the clay, giving it its characteristic colour
and cracked texture.
Benjarong
ware
This heavily decorated art form of ceramic was
once reserved only for the royal family. The production
of Benjarong ware is an incredible labour intensive
process. Decorated with five colours, each different
colour must be applied to the vessels and successively
fired in the kiln five times before the decoration
of the piece is complete. The paints used to decorate
Benjarong ware are usually made of natural materials,
and the colours brighten on the decorated vessels
during firing. Benjarong ware is frequently gilded
as well to heighten the decoration. |
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Benjarong
ware, another form
of Thai fine ceramics. |
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| Traditional
Benjarong items were designed as items to grace
the royal dining in the form of food containers
or tea sets. Modern designs include flower vases
and other decorative items. |
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*Another set of designs influenced
by nature |
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| Nowadays,
many communities all over Thailand have produced
and developed ceramics in their own styles causing
the gradual growth of the ceramic business to
become a powerful industry. The significant growth
of the ceramic industry can be observed from the
export revenue. In 2003, the export of ceramic
ware valued up to 7.84 billion baht (US$ 196 millions),
an increase of 8.52% from 2002 at 7.22 billion
baht (US$ 180.5 millions). |
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*Fine
pieces of ceramic made by
skillful Thai artisans |
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With the great skill of Thai artisans, Thai
ceramic is neatly made into fine pieces. Moreover,
it is inexpensive, making it one of the popular
souvenirs among foreign visitors. If you happen
to be in Thailand, a pick of fine pieces of
ceramics back home is one of the must.
*Photos
by courtesy of Ceramics
of Phuket |
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