This blog is a electronic museum of my collections of antiquities, ethnographic, first editions, retro pottery from the 1950's to early 1970's, shell, mineral and gemstone specimens, fossils, postcards and other wonderful things! Comments are welcome on the objects including advice which will add to my own wonderment and knowledge.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Celadon Ware Bowl with a cloud motif in Brown Glaze, Sukhothai Period circa 13th-14th Century, THAILAND


Provenance: Purchased at auction in Bangkok's Antique District, River City.
Circa: 13th - 14th Century
Age: 750 years old
Size: 15.5cm diameter /Height 6.0cm
Condition: Excellent





During 1300-1500 A.D., Sukhothai – the capital of the first Thai Kingdom – was the production center of the greenish-glazed stoneware known as “Sangkhaloke” wares due to the mispronunciation of Sawankhaloke – the name of an important production site of the kingdom.
Westerners at the time called this kind of ceramic “Celadon” after a French term, but in fact Celadon originated in China whose products have always been easily identified with Chinese characters at the bottom of the vessels. But if a vessel bears Thai letters instead, it was certainly made in Thailand.

          Sukhothai was the center of the continual production of Celadon for over 200 years as evidenced by hundreds of old kilns excavated at Tambon Ban Ko Noi and Tambon Payang in Sawankhaloke. In addition, fine specimens of Thai Celadon have also been found in different countries along the ancient shipping trade route in that era such as Java, Sumatra, Malacca, the Philippines, Japan.  
At the end of Sukhothai period, the kingdom had been constantly weakened by warfare against the invasions of neighboring kingdoms, which eventually led to the southward-shifting of the capital to Ayutthaya, thus the halt of Celadon production at Sukhothai.

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