Thai Sawankhalok Brown Glazed Stoneware Bottle

Sukhothai Kingdom period, 13th to early 15th century, Sawankhalok, Ban Ko Noi Area, Thailand.

Absolutely gorgeous stoneware bottle with a globular body and a corseted neck that bulges outwards and then inwards to a circular, lipped rim. Ring-form foot. A lustrous iron glaze in varying shades of brown from golden caramel to rich mocha envelops the exterior of the vessel, covering all but its base and foot, while a series of incised parallel striations encircle the rim, shoulder, and body of the aged vessel. The rim is additionally embellished with two tubular loop handles.

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.

Excellent condition. Age-related light wear. Glazing defects and firing flaws. Beautiful patina. Size approx. 13,0cm x 12,5cm x 12,5cm. 

Provenance: British private collection 

For a similar example see:

Bottle with two vertical ring handles, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian, Accession Number: F1994.24 (https://asia.si.edu/explore-art-culture/collections/search/edanmdm:fsg_F1994.24/)

Ring Handled Bottle, The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Accession Number: 76.72.22 (https://collections.artsmia.org/art/2346/ring-handled-bottle-thailand)

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.