Rare Bencharong goes on display at River City

Bencharong, a distinctive variety of enamelled porcelain made primarily for Siamese royalty of the Chakri Dynasty between the late 18th and early 20th centuries, never fails to amaze people for its brilliant colours, wide selection of motifs and kaleidoscopic compositions. Not to be missed by Bencharong enthusiasts is the exhibition tilted “Bencharong Journey: From China To Siam”, the first of its kind to be held in Thailand since 1977. The show will take place at RCB Auctions, 4th floor, River City Bangkok. The Bencharong event, which runs from Saturday, Dec 8, will be curated by ceramics historian Dawn F. Rooney, who is also a scholar and art historian specialising in Southeast Asia, having authored nine books on the art and culture of the region. Rooney explains that “the name Bencharong derives from two Sanskrit words — panch (five) and rong (colour) — and relates to the number of colours used on a single piece. It is, however, not always five as it differs from three to eight. The cause for this variance is undetermined but it may be that the number five is significant in Buddhism, which has been the dominant faith in Thailand since at least the 14th century. It also indicates the five elements — wood, fire, earth, metal, water — and all of these elements, except metal, are used for making ceramics. Water mixed with earth produces clay and wood ignites making fire to harden clay”. Now that you understand its meaning better, just what makes this exhibition stand out from others? For starters, over 150 pieces of Bencharong and related objects in other materials made exclusively for Siam in the 18th and 19th centuries have been assembled from private collections and galleries exclusively for this event. Most of the items, originally housed at Chakrabongse Palace, were graciously lent by MR Narisa Chakrabongse for this exhibition, making it a rare opportunity to get up close with the historical exhibits. Another key highlight will be the private Bencharong collection of Harald Link, head of B. Grimm Group. Concurrent events and activities include a seminar, “Bencharong In Perspective”, on Jan 19 with Rooney. A book sale by River Books, leading publishers of books on Southeast Asian art, culture and history, also takes place in conjunction with workshop on painting Bencharong.