Monday, November 15, 2010

Porcelain Painting

Bencharong is a type of porcelain renowned for its unique form, design, color schemes and graceful beauty. The name derives from two Sanskrit words — panch ("five") and rong ("colour") — and relates to the number of colours traditionally used on a single piece. In practice, the acutal number varies from three to eight. The number signifies the five elements — wood, fire, earth, metal, water — all of which are used for making Bencharong: water mixed with earth produces clay; wood ignites, making fire to harden clay; and the finished pieces are often gilded with 12K or 18K gold to accentuate the decoration.
The craft originated in China and gained popularity in Thailand in the 18th century, enjoying royal patronage from the Chakri Dynasty. As such, traditional Bencharong items were designed to grace the royal dining table in the form of food containers or tea sets.
Even though our visit to the Bencharong House in Samut Songkhram was brief, it was very obvious how much time and effort go into each and every piece of these special porcelain art objects. If you ever visit Thailand, don't forget to pick some up as souvenirs!

18 comments:

Hootin Anni said...

Oh my goodness!!! What a stupendous job, and what a fabulous craft!!!

My Macro is in a NUT SHELL

4 Lettre Words said...

WOW...such an amazing gift! Beautiful.

Maaike said...

what a job!
great shot

Dimple said...

This is fascinating. I'm awed by the fine detail and the amount of work needed to produce each piece.
Thanks for coming by, I got a chuckle from your baby's reaction to the cattails!

paige said...

Wow. Just wow. How intricate. I wouldn't have the patience.

Laurie said...

Wow! Perfect pictures.

Bom said...

Such an intricate pattern, not to mention the work that goes into it. Thanks for sharing this great set of pictures.

Tezzie said...

Incredible detail! Gorgeous handicrafts...I can't help but be impressed :D I certainly hope they charge enough to get paid properly for their work!

Kala said...

Gorgeous detail of this beautiful craftsmanship.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful, Serline! The workmanship is extraordinary. One must have a steady hand to define such detail. That color of blue is breathtaking!

Nicolette said...

Wow, what a steady hand to be able to work in such fine detail... Stunning... Wonderful photos...

Sylvia K said...

Oh, how beautiful! And such detail! Fantastic! And your photos are terrific! Such an interesting post! Thanks for sharing not only the beauty, but the background! Hope your week is going well. Enjoy!

Sylvia

springman said...

You sure know your way around a Dslr and you have the "eye." Sincere praises!

Lesley said...

I cannot imagine having such a good eye and steady hand for such delicate work! Your photos are excellent - especially the second one!

BraCom said...

sorry for the late reaction, but I had to do my job the whole day

interesting My World Tuesday posting

Have a nice week,
Greetings, Bram

Link to My Word Tuesday post!

Seen on My World Tuesday

Gerald (SK14) said...

what lovely colours

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