The Meteorological Department predicts heavy rains for this week, and today is a public holiday. The National Museum Bangkok is the ideal refuge if you want to enjoy art while also getting away from the cloudbursts.
Until Dec 14, "The Endless Epic Of Japanese – Thai Ceramic Relationship In The World's Trade And Culture" exhibition is on view at the Siwamokkhaphiman Throne Hall to commemorate the 90th birthday of HM Queen Sirikit the Queen Mother and the 135th anniversary of Thai-Japanese diplomatic relations.
Siam and Ryukyu (the modern Japanese island of Okinawa) have long-standing trading ties dating back to the Ayutthaya period. The first ship from Ayutthaya reached Nagasaki in 1612 and offered a shark skin to the Shogun Tokugawa leyasu.
Looking around, visitors can travel back in time to the late 16th and early 17th centuries when Nagasaki served as an international entrepôt linking East and West before the two countries had signed the Declaration of Commerce and Amity in 1887.
It's a collaboration between the Fine Arts Department and the Saga Prefecture to promote cultural exchange. The exhibition is divided into six zones and features 97 pieces of traditional Arita porcelain from the Kyushu Ceramics Museum as well as a collection of 90 ceramic artefacts from Thailand's National Museum and private collectors.
After entering, visitors can learn more about the evolution of ceramics in Japan and Thailand both in terms of international trade and culture. Japan started developing Jomon pottery into vessels with intricate patterns in 4,000-5,000 BC and embraced natural ash glaze, high fire techniques from the Korean Peninsula to produce blue-gray stoneware pottery (Sue ware) in the Asuka period (552-646).
"When the shogun brought a group of Korean potters back to Japan in the 17th century, they found kaolin in the town of Arita, Saga Prefecture. They used the Chinese technique of porcelain with overglaze polychrome enamels to create a range of intricate ceramics that were useful for everyday use," said Rakchanok Kojaranont, deputy director of the Fine Arts Department.
"China was a major porcelain manufacturer until it was interrupted by internal upheaval during the transition between the Ming to Qing dynasties. Japan took advantage of the opportunity to enhance the production of porcelain and ceramics for export to both Southeast Asia and Europe through the Dutch East India Company, also known as Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), which established its headquarters in Nagasaki."
In Thailand, prehistoric people learned how to control temperature in producing earthenware for use in daily life and burials before moving on to Sangkhalok stoneware during the Sukhothai period. Later, Thais were influenced by Chinese porcelain and created the first glaze stoneware jars for export to overseas markets during the Ayutthaya era.
On the wall, a massive blue-and-white ceramic tile mosaic created by the Office of Traditional Arts, or Chang Sib Mu, shows the maritime commerce route that connected Japan, Siam and Europe as well as the way of life in the Ayutthaya kingdom and the town of Arita.
The second zone is designed to resemble a Japanese ceramic factory so that visitors can observe how a Japanese potter shaped clay into a vessel and used an indigo pigment made from natural cobalt to sketch on its surface before glazing and firing it at 1,300C in a kiln.
The traditional Arita porcelain techniques have been passed down from generation to generation for more than 400 years. Visitors can see a unique whisk-shaped bottle, which was created between the 1650s and 1660s and adorned with an overglaze polychrome enamel peony design.
Between 1655 and 1670, a series of small cobalt blue bottles were created, and an underglaze cobalt enamel Kendi ewer was made between the 1660s and 1670s by taking inspiration from a Chinese monk named Hotei. A colourful Kraak-style bowl with overglaze polychrome enamel phoenix designs dates to the 1660s-1670s, while a bowl with a dragon and chrysanthemum decorations was made between 1655 and 1660s.
"Ceramic ware was first decorated with floral, natural and landscape designs like cranes and pine trees. They appeared in modest sizes like jars, bottles and containers before expanding into larger ceremonial vessels and decorative items for export. For instance, a ceramic piece with a phoenix pattern represents an empress, and a ceremonial jar with Araya Metrai was influenced by Indian beliefs. At the same time, potters used natural colours of red, blue and yellow made from minerals," Rakchanok said.
The following area takes visitors back to the Edo era (1603–1868), when a domestic distribution network was established to connect major cities like Kyoto and Osaka so that regional goods could be delivered to small villages across the country.
With the discovery of Izumiyama Quarry and the development of Japanese culinary culture, Arita became the birthplace of the porcelain industry and its ceramic dinnerware with functional designs quickly gained popularity across the country.
On display is an overglaze polychrome enamel Kakiemon-style lobed dish with dragon and tiger motifs created between the 1670s and 1690s, and a vibrant abalone-shaped dish with plum, pine and bamboo design produced between the 1690s and 1710s.
A decorative figure of a boy using a gourd to catch a catfish was made between the 1670s and 1700s, based on Buddhist morals. There's also an underglaze cobalt blue, bell-shaped water jar with dragon and phoenix-inspired designs created between the 1670s and 1690s.
"The Kakiemon family is famous for its milky-hued ceramics and beautiful designs that have a distinct persimmon-like colour scheme. Sakaida Kakiemon XIV was designated a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government and his son is now in charge of the factory. Their pottery-making techniques have been passed down from generation to generation," Rakchanok said.
"The Saga Nabeshima set up a kiln to create an edition of traditional ceramic ware for the shogun, while the Kraak-style pottery was created under the influence of Chinese ceramics and produced for sale in international markets."
Visitors can continue further inside to view 1:3 scale replicas of Thai and Japanese kilns and discover how Japanese potters created a climbing kiln on a mountain to house multiple stepped burning chambers so they could generate a great quantity of pottery. For ceramics that are fired at high temperatures, pine wood was used to provide heat.
In Siam, up-draught kilns were constructed on the ground and featured a chimney, a large firing chamber and fire box in order to produce Sangkhalok earthenware like tiny mangoesteen-shaped containers, teapots, lanterns and guardian figures during the late 11th to 16th centuries.
Thanks to the imitation Siamese and Japanese junks that are moored in the middle of the hall, visitors can see a wide range of classic pottery in different designs. The highlights include a whisk-shaped bottle with geometric pattern made between 1650 and 1660, an overglaze polychrome enamel European-style tea set from the Meiji period, and an underglaze cobalt blue and polychrome enamel bowl with bird in a tree created between 1840 to 1870.
The next zone showcases a new collection of the finest ceramic ware from the Support Center to celebrate Thai cultural heritage. To revive Thailand's ceramic production and give local villagers more income, HM Queen Sirikit founded the first ceramic department at the Ban Khut Na Kham Support Center in the northeastern town of Sakon Nakhon in 1983. Later, the department was expanded to other provinces.
The journey ends at a dining room, where visitors can borrow period costumes and pretend to be a gourmet while learning about Japanese kaiseki meals from the famous Yoryutei restaurant in Saga Prefecture as well as Siamese royal cuisine from King Rama II's poem on savouries and sweets. The Office of Traditional Arts will also arrange several ceramic workshops on Oct 23, Nov 6, Nov 20 and Dec 4.
Travel info
The National Museum Bangkok is open from 9am to 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday. Admission is 30 baht for Thais and 200 baht for foreigners. For more information, call 02-224-1333 or visit facebook.com/nationalmuseumbangkok.
