Exceptional Benjarong Doucai
One of the most rare and valuable items in this auction is a rare and fine Benjarong bowl painted with the Deities of the Four Elements. Among all Benjarong patterns, the bowl with this decoration is extremely rare as the dancing deities are unusual subjects in contrast to the common iconography of Thephanom in praying posture which indicates that this bowl was commissioned exclusively as royal ware.
Click here for Thai
Click here for Chinese
In addition to the rarity of the pattern, this porcelain is painted in enamel colours known as Doucai (鬥彩) which is a technique in Chinese porcelain painting originated from the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) which is well-known for its Doucai ware. This type of porcelain is made by painting designs onto the pieces in an underglaze blue and then glazed and fired. Then, the vessel was fired a second time once the entirety of the design was added in yellow, green, purple or red of overglazed enamel at a lower temperature.
Lot 111 A rare and fine Benjarong bowl painted with the Deities of the Four Elements
Even though this porcelain was produced by Chinese artisans, the pattern was designed by Thai craftsmen. Therefore, this porcelain has become one of the most rare and valuable collectibles that defines its owner’s social status and depicts a long history of Thai dining culture. Moreover, with its high quality, this porcelain was chosen to compete in Benjarong competitions held several times during Rattanakosin period.
Browse and bid on August 13, 2022, here.