Ancient Chinese-inspired ceramics see revival in Thailand

A pottery artisan draws Sangkhalokstyle glaze patterns on an earthen base in a ceramics workshop in Si Satchanalai. [Photo/Xinhua]

Though there is a local museum, most of the excavated ceramic artifacts are now kept by the Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum of Bangkok University, which now boasts a collection of more than 16,000 ancient ceramic wares, and is the the biggest such collection in Thailand.

Ceramics from ancient China arrived in Thailand by Silk Road trade routes and inspired the Thai craftsmen at the time. The local craftsmen at the time went on to imitate the Chinese technique of manufacturing and thus Sangkhalok ceramics were born, explained Pariwat Thammapreechakorn, curator of the Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum.

"There were ceramics indigenous to ancient Thailand but these original ceramics cannot compete with Chinese ones in terms of technique or popularity around the world. That's why ancient Thai craftsmen decided to imitate the technique of Chinese ceramics, especially Longquan celadon from the Song Dynasty (960-1279)," said Pariwat.

The meaning of "Sangkhalok" is still uncertain. Some Thai scholars believe "Sang" may refer to the Song Dynasty of China, while others believe Sangkhalok was the then Chinese or Japanese inaccurate pronunciation of "Sawankhalok", a popular name in the city of Si satchanalai, according to Thai history.

Though it cannot be proved that its name comes from China, the birth of Sangkhalok ceramics is certainly closely connected with Chinese history.

During China's Tang Dynasty (618-907), a large number of Chinese ceramics, the main products of the maritime silk road, were exported to Southeast Asia. When it came to the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), China's blue and white porcelain was leading the world of fashion. The porcelain was not only a treasure of the then royal family and aristocracies of Thailand, but also used as sacred items in religious rituals.