The Benjarong is Thailand’s priceless grant to Asian pottery. Once the prized possession of royal palaces and upper-class Thai people, it is nowadays, the pride & perfection of old Thai craftsmanship.

But what precisely is the Benjarong and wherefore does it beget such magical qualities with absolute stunner and serenity? Read on to unravel the history & making of this old masterpiece.
photographs credit: travlinman43

History of the Benjarong

During the earlier Ayutthaya period (1350 – 1767), Thai craftsmen made a somewhat indecent multi-colored earthenware recognized nowadays as the Benjarong – a cycle based on the Sanskrit words panch, meaning five, and rang, meaning colours, therefore literally referring to the ‘five-colored.’ The flair of painting multi-colored enamels on a lily-white porcelain station was influenced by the Chinese Ming dynasty, and by the 17th century, the Benjarong became an alone household possession of rulers & high nobility – marking a period wherever high grade Benjarongs with specific Thai patterns were developed. Colorized enamels added over the glaze were fused to the surface in a downward scale of temperatures. The Benjarongs were as well decorated with swirling flame-like motifs & Thai-style thepanoms, or celestial beings. These were made entirely for the royal household as utilitarian details, such as rice bowls, stem plates & covered water jars. Soon after, artisans applied twelve or eighteen carat gold onto Benjarongs to elaborate their visual aspect.

The Making of a Benjarong

The making of the Benjarong is a long and arduous procedure requiring awesome patience & total dedication. A prolonged heat treatment is obligatory after the target is made, & once once more after the hand painting is done. The drying procedure of the hand painting can’t be accelerated by utilising a fan or cetacean, as this prevents the colours from fusing into the ceramics.
photographs credit: AmpamukA (Busy in ICU for 1 month)

The process:

1.The ceramic ware is hand made into the explicit sized and manipulate desired.

two.The ceramic ware is heated at over 500 degrees for over 6-7 hours.

three.A couple of hours is spent on polishing the cooked ceramic ware to smoothen the surface.

4.A lean level of glaze is applied onto the smoothened ceramic ware.

5.The ceramic ware is heated once once more to supply it a glazed and polished surface.

6.A craftsman then hand paints many patterns onto the polished ceramic ware.

7.Each colour wants to be wholly dried in protest to go for a recent colour, taking from hours to days to total.

8.The completed hand painting on the ceramic ware is went away to dry for different 6 hours.

9.The painted ceramic ware is heated once once more at over 500 degrees for 5-6 hours, as this ensures that the colours are fused into the Benjarong.

The Benjarong nowadays is one of the most favorite types of ceramics in Thailand. Recognized to be the most delicate for its hand painted patterns, it is of small wonder that these masterpieces are entirely developed by only the most talented & extremely expert of Thai artisans.