The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. XLIV, Part 1-2, 1956 - Khamkoo

Siam and the Pottery Trade of Asia
7l
presumably brought the first group from T'zu Ohoit, and that. it may
very likely have been reasons of trade which led to this development.
Very little Snkhothai ware was apparently exported, whereas Sawankalok
pottery was sent to widely scattered parts of Asia. The reason
for this is obvious: it. could be solcl as celadon- albeit an inferior
grade-and celadon was the ware in greatest demand. What pro!Jahly
happened was something like this:
There was no real demand or
market outside of the locality for the Snkhothai. wares made in the
T'zu Ohoi''t tradition.
A new group of Chinese potters was brought
to Siam, possibly from Lnng-ch'iian, familiar with the manufacture
of celadous, and were settled in Sawankalok where materials were
available for making the celadon-like glazes.
Meanwhile, the
Sukhothai potters continued theii' work. but instead of attempting t.o
produce glazed pottery utensils for which there was appat•ently no
great market or demand, devoted their energies to making those
fanciful end tiles and other glazed and decorated temple ornaments
which came into vogue among the Siamese dnl'ing the Snkhothai
period.
'l'he amount of this gl azerl temple coust rue! ion material
produced at Snkbothai was prodigious, !Jut none of it. W!IS exported.
On the othet· hand, great quantities of Sawaukalok pottery wei'O
produced and t.here is abundant evidence that llltlCh if not most of
iL went into the Asiatic pottery trade.
'l'he products of the SnkhoLhni kilns were principally water
jars, bowls and dishes, along with great quantities of the decorated
temple materials mentioned above.
smaller and more delicate.
Most Sawankalok ware was
Large water jars, bowls and plates are
common, but more characteristic are small containel'S of various
shapes many of which are in pl~tin monochrome. One typo of
container which has always struck my fancy is in the shape of a
persimmon, the little handle of the lid representing the stem of the
fruit.,
Significantly enongh, the persimmon does not grow in Siam.
and this shape was undoubtedly of Chinese origin.
Ja1mnese connoisseurs
of Sawankalok classify this peculiar form as lcaki-no-le
( {;j;.:f- ), the persimmon tYPI?· •. ·•