Explore

Jar

14th century

Thailand, possibly north Thailand

Stoneware with incised and applied design under glaze

H. 17 7/8 x Diam. 14 1/4 in. (45.4 x 36.2 cm)

Asia Society, New York: Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection, 1979.95

Provenance

John D. Rockefeller 3rd, New York, NY; acquired from J. J. Klejman, 1962

John D. Rockefeller 3rd, New York, NY; acquired from J. J. Klejman, New York, NY, November 15, 1962.

The Asia Society, New York, NY, bequest of John D. Rockefeller 3rd, 1979.

The Asia Society, New York, NY, bequest of John D. Rockefeller 3rd, New York, NY, 1979.

Licensing inquiries

This stunning jar may be an example of glazed ceramics produced in the very northern part of Thailand as its shape and decorations are similar to that of other examples that have been found in the area. Shards with a comparable gray body and a pale green glaze were found in 1979 at Phayao and it has been suggested that the Asia Society's jar is an example of Phayao ware. Identification of its provenance, however, is complicated by the fact that it was excavated from a 13th- or 14th-century stupa in the north-central city of Kamphaeng Phet, which is closer to the better-known ceramics centers at Sawankhalok. Ceramics made farther north in Thailand were intended primarily for local consumption, and few examples have been found in other regions of the country, although it is possible that it was brought to Kamphaeng Phet from northern Thailand for a specific purpose. When it was unearthed, the jar was filled with a large number of metal and terra-cotta votive tablets.