Benjarong with scene from Phra Aphai Mani
This covered bowl with lid is decorated with scenes from Phra Aphai Mani, a Thai epic poem composed in the Rattanakosin era by the celebrated Thai bard, Sunthorn Phu.
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Experts believe that the bowl was one of a multitude of Chinese porcelain wares commissioned and imported into Siam by Phrayachodeukratchasethi (พระยาโชดึกราชเศรษฐี), a Siamese merchant of Chinese ancestry and a key player in the lucrative trade of Chinese porcelain. At the time, the Siamese market for Chinese porcelain followed in the centuries-old tradition of Thai-style customizations that combined Siamese designs and cultural motifs with the patterns and color palettes of Chinese porcelain. The porcelain wares were then made in China as per the specifications of the Siamese client, and brought into Siam by traders. As recorded in Tamnan Krueng Toh Lae Thuey Pan, the first systematic history of Chinese ceramics in Siam by HRH Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, Phrayachodeuk’s contemporaries, the merchant made trips to China to supervise the production of his merchandise at Jingdezhen, the manufacturing hub of the Chinese porcelain industry, on one occasion spending as long as three years abroad. The distinctive style of the pieces sold by Phrayachodeuk’s company, Kim Tung Hok Ki (กิมตึ๋งฮกกี่), came to be known as Jeen Puk, a label that splices Phrayachodeuk’s given name (Puk) with the provenance of his wares.
Lot 95: A Benjarong Lai Nam Thong covered bowl painted and gilt with the scene from Phra Aphai Mani, Thai Epic (1 pc.)
Style: Thai, Rattanakosin
Dimensions: W 22 cm. H 13 cm.
Circa: 19th Century
Estimated Price: 300,000 - 500,000 THB
Starting Price: 120,000 THB
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