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Hi - I have this ceramic box that is probably from the Thai Si Satchanalai kilns that is bugging me. There appears to be an inscription around the lid in what looks like it may be in a Thai or related script. Does anyone recognize the script? Is it legible enough to attempt to have it translated? Similar appearing marks are also incorporated in the incised scroll around the outer wall of the box so maybe the inscribed markings are purely decorative. The paste is consistent with that of 14-16th century Si Satchanalai boxes. The third photo shows the paste of the underside of the lid

Dear Walter

Sorry, I do not think your box is as old as you claimed.

Link:
http://maritimeasia.ws/turiang/sisatch.html

Have fun
Anita mui

Hi Anita,

Thanks for looking and commenting. I know that the box is not typical of the tradeware covered ceramic boxes. Do you have any suggestion as to age? New?

Best, Walter

I have no doubts about these.

Dear Walter

The clay is corect, but the glaze, design and form are different.

There are repro products selling around Srisatchanalai area. They use the same clay from the same ancient mine and fired in the firewoods kilns.

Your jar is possibly a sevenior.

Have fun
Anita Mui

Dear Anita,

Thanks so much for the additional information about the contemporary Si Sat kilns.

Best, Walter

As a follow-up to this post, this is from The Southeast Asian Ceramic Society, First Annual Exhibition, 'Ceramic Art of Southeast Asia', Introduction and descriptive notes by William Willetts, The Art Museum, The University of Singapore, 1971.

This box is of larger diameter (13.5 cm) than mine (10.5 cm).

Best Regards, Walter

Dear Walter

The glaze of your piece look like it was blasted, or blown, or poloshed with sand / sand paper, which made the glaze dull, not shiny like other museum samples. And the surface of your jar is not smooth.

After dipping the bisquit (pottery after first firing from clay/earth to be light brown hard material) the potter must leave the piece cool in a kiln for few day, then take it out and dip it in the slipping paste which is a glazing material, a mixture of water, quartz powder, and other mineral...etc. Then leave it dry up for week, then high fire it, so the surface must be smooth no matter how old the piece is. Glazing made the pottery resists acid in the burial environment which is unlikely to be like surface of your piece.

In ancient time, the handle of the lid were made from the same mold, but each workshops used different molds. The shape of the jars are hand free made on foot spining disc. And the copies selling in the market are perfectly round which said to be pumped up from mold, so they will show no various kind of shape, human error, and feeling of "free hand".

Without personal handling, I may be wrong.

Have fun
Anita Mui

Hi Anita,

Thanks for taking another look at the box. I had sent it to the junk/fake box until I found the reference to the Singapore piece. Giving it another look, I am still not sure. What bothers me the most about the piece is a lack of fluidity in the carving of the vegital scroll and that the interior of the box is more eroded that the exterior glaze. I am aware that J. C. Shaw has been warning of the very good fakes of Northern Thai wares and others that have been coming from Chiang Mai. Unfortunately, I have not had the pleasure of viewing (knowingly) any of them or of visiting any of the kilns. I think that I will have to see either an authentic box similar to mine or an accepted fake before passing judgment. At the present, my feeling is 80% to 20% that it is fake.

Here is a group of covered boxes that I am more comfortable with.

Best Regards, Walter

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