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

But what exactly is the Benjarong & why does it beget such magical qualities with absolute beauty & serenity? Read on to unravel the history & making of this ancient masterpiece.
photos credit: travlinman43

History of the Benjarong

During the before Ayutthaya period (1350 – 1767), Thai craftsmen made a somewhat indecent multi-colored earthenware acknowledged today as the Benjarong – a bicycle based on the Sanskrit words panch, meaning five, & rang, meaning colours, thus literally referring to the ‘five-colored.’ The style of painting multi-colored enamels on a white porcelain base was influenced by the Chinese Ming dynasty, & by the 17th century, the Benjarong became an exclusive household possession of rulers & high nobility – marking a period where high quality Benjarongs with unique Thai textures were developed. Colorized enamels added over the glaze were fused to the surface in a downwards scale of temperatures. The Benjarongs were as well decorated with swirling flame-like motifs & Thai-style thepanoms, or celestial beings. These were made exclusively 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 embellish their optical aspect.

The Making of a Benjarong

The making of the Benjarong is a long & arduous process requiring great patience & absolute dedication. A prolonged heat treatment is compulsory after the object is made, & once once more after the hand painting is done. The drying process of the hand painting can’t be accelerated by using a fan or cetacean, as this prevents the colors from fusing into the ceramics.
photos credit: AmpamukA (Busy in ICU for 1 month)

The process:

1.The ceramic ware is hand made into the denotative size & control 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 roasted ceramic ware to smoothen the surface.

4.A tend layer of glaze is applied onto the smoothened ceramic ware.

5.The ceramic ware is heated once once more to provide it a glazed & polished surface.

6.A craftsman then hand paints numerous textures onto the polished ceramic ware.

7.Each color needs to be completely dried in objection to go for a past colour, taking from hours to days to total.

8.The completed hand painting on the ceramic ware is went distant to dry for another 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 colors are fused into the Benjarong.

The Benjarong today is one of the most favourite types of ceramics in Thailand. Recognized to be the most exquisite for its hand painted patterns, it is of little wonder that these masterpieces are exclusively highly-developed by only the most talented & highly skilled of Thai artisans.