Jar for drinking water

Object Details

• Artist

  Thongrochana Boonpoog (1832-1913)

• Label

  This jar was donated to the Sackler Gallery by Mr. Pisarn Boonpoog. Mr. Boonpoog is a member of a pottery-making family on the island of Ko Kret, on the left bank of the Chao Phraya River north of Bangkok. The potters of Ko Kret are ethnic Mon and came to Ko Kret at the invitation of King Taksin (r. 1767-1782) after the Mon capital was overrun by the Burmese.

  King Taksin granted plots of land to Mon all along the Chao Phraya from Ayutthaya to Bangkok; the Mon established a monopoly on the production and distribution (through a system of river boats also operated by Mon) of earthenware pottery in the region. Early twentieth century reports on ceramics in Thailand mention the ubiquitous red earthenware jars for collecting and storing rainwater. Ko Kret is the last of those communities to continue making pottery, and it supplies most of the flower pots, kitchen mortars, and cooking pots used in Bangkok.

  This jar was made by Mr. Pisarn's great-grandfather, Thongrochana Boonpoog (1832-1913) when he was around 50 years old (i.e., ca. 1882). It was presented to Wat Paramai Yutikawat, a royal monastery on Ko Kret founded by King Rama V. The jar was presented to a particular monk at the monastery. After the monk died, the jar was returned to the family.

• Provenance

  ca. 1882

  Object made by Thongrochana Boonpoog (1832-1913) in Thailand [1]

  Maybe ca. 1882-?

  Wat Paramai Yutikawat, Ko Kret, Thailand, a gift from a member of the Boonpoog family, maybe from Thongrochana Boonpoog [2]

  ?-?

  Unknown monk at Wat Paramai Yutikawat, gift from Wat Paramai Yutikawat [2]

  ?

  The Boonpoog family, gift from Wat Paramai Yutikawat following the death of the unknown monk [3]

  ?-1994

  Mr. Pisarn Boonpoog, by inheritance through the Boonpoog family [4]

  From 1994

  Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Mr. Pisarn Boonpoog [5]

  Notes:

  [1] See memo from Louise Cort to Milo Beach and Tom Lentz with the subject “Proposed gift of Mon earthenware water jar to AMSG [Arthur M. Sackler Gallery],” July 11, 1994, copy in object file. The memo states: “This jar was made by Mr. Pisarn [Boonpoog]'s great-grandfather, Thongrochana Boonpoog (1832--1913) when he was around fifty years old (i.e., circa 1882). It was presented to Wat Paramai, a royal monastery on Kohkred founded by King Rama V. In turn, the monastery presented the jar to a specific monk; after the monk died, the jar was returned to the Boonpoog family.”

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] See note 1.

  [4] See note 1. The memo states: “The jar that Mr. Pisarn offers to the AMSG [Arthur M. Sackler Gallery] was brought to the U.S. for display at the 1994 Festival of American Folklife, where Mr. Pisarn and another Kohkred potter demonstrated the Kohkred techniques of making ornamented red earthenware water jars. This jar is one of two old pieces brought for display; the other was given to the Thai princess who currently resides in Washington.”

  Mr. Pisarn Boonpoog was the great-grandson of the artist of this jar. Trained as a potter but a lawyer by profession, Mr. Pisarn Boonpoog has worked to preserve the culture of the Ko Kret potters and has served as a local historian and director of the Ancient Mon Pottery and Mon Cultural Center on Ko Kret. For more information on the production of Ko Kret pottery see: Louise Allison Cort, H. Leedom Lefferts Jr., and Narasaki Shoichi, “A Regional Survey of Present-day Earthenware and Stoneware Production in mainland Southeast Asia,” Seto City Archaeology Center (Seto-shi Maizo Bunkazai Sentaa), Research Report No. 8 (2000), pp. 105-192.

  [5] See note 1.

  Research Completed October 31, 2022

• Collection

  National Museum of Asian Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Ceramics from Thailand (July 1, 2013 to March 2, 2014)

  Taking Shape: Ceramics in Southeast Asia (April 1, 2007 to December 4, 2011)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Thongrochana Boonpoog (1832-1913)

  Boonpoong family

  Wat Paramai Yutikawat

  Pisarn Boonpoog

• Origin

  Ko Kret kilns, Nonthaburi province, Chao Phraya River network, Thailand

• Credit Line

  Gift of Pisarn Boonpoog

• Type

  Vessel

• Restrictions and Rights

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1880s, 1870s

• Name

  Wat Paramai Yutikawat, Boonpoong family, Boonpoog, Thongrochana, Boonpoog, Pisarn

• Place

  Ko Kret kilns, Chao Phraya River network, Nonthaburi province, Thailand

• Topic

  Water, Unglazed, Art, Pottery, Southeast Asian Art, Bangkok period (1782 - 1932 ), Ceramics, Ko Kret ware, Stupa

• Culture

  Southeast Asians

• Object Type

  Vessels (containers)