Thai Sawankhalok Brown Glaze Lidded Stoneware Box

Sukhothai Kingdom period, 13th to early 15th century, Sawankhalok, Thailand.

Round form covered stoneware box. 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.

Superb small-sized Sawankhalok ceramic box with lid, decorated with a lotus bud shaped knob in the centre of the lid with a floral pattern painted around the outside of the lid. Typical example of traditional Sawankhalok wares, with the oatmeal coloured paste and iron black under-glaze with a scrolling pattern circling the outside. Excellent condition. Age-related minimal wear. Chip in the lid. Glazing defects and firing flaws. Beautiful patina. Size approx. 5,8cm x 5,5cm x 5,5cm. 

Provenance: Dutch 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.