Thai Sawankhalok Brown Glazed Stoneware Jarlet

Ayutthaya Kingdom period, 15th to early 16th century, Sawankhalok, Ban Ko Noi Area, Thailand.

Charming miniature jarlet with a globular body, flaring rim and unglazed ring-form foot. A delicate iron glaze in varying shades of dark brown envelops the exterior of the vessel, covering all but its base and foot. The rim is additionally embellished with two tubular loop handles. From the Ban Ko Noi kilns in north-central Thailand.

Sawankhalok/Si Satchanalai ceramic wares (called also Sangkhalok) are ancient Thai traditional ceramic ware specifically derived from Sukhothai Kingdom period (1238-1438). The royal cities of Sukhothai and Si Satchanalai in north-central Thailand were at the heart of one of the largest ceramic-producing centres in Southeast Asia during the 14th century. Sukhothai is known for it coarser clay and has many small black specks due to the high iron content of the clay. Sometimes, these inclusions can be brown, red or silvery. Like Sukhothai, Sawankhalok mainly created relatively simple shapes - jars, bottles, kendis, bowls and plates.  Ceramic wares from the hundreds of kilns located along the Yom River in Si Satchanalai as well as from Sukhothai city were exported in vast quantities to Indonesia and the Philippines where demand was great. Sawankhalok ware was also exported to Japan and the Middle-East. The export of both Thai and Vietnamese ceramics experienced a surge when the Chinese imperial court placed a ban on foreign export during the Ming period (Ming Ban 1, 1371-1509), leaving a gap to be filled.

Good condition. Small chip in rim. Age-related light wear. Glazing defects and firing flaws. Beautiful patina. Size approx. 5,0cm x 6,5cm x 6,5cm. 

Provenance: Swedish private collection 

References and further reading:

Thai ceramics, National Museums Scotland.

The ceramics of southeast Asia: Thei dating and identification (2nd ed.), R.M. Brown, Singapore, Singapore: Oxford Univesity Press, 1988.

Last shipments from the Thai Sawankhalok Kilns, R.M. Brown, Art from Thailand, pp. 93-103. Mumbai, Marg Publications, 1999.

A Field Guide to Glazed Thai Ceramics, Dawn F. Rooney, Asian Perspectives, Vol 28. No 2, pp. 125-144, University of Hawai'i Press, 1988-89.