Benjarong cup & saucer South Africa

Benjarong or five-coloured enamel overglaze decorated wares, were originally made in China for the Siamese market, in the 18th century.  At this time, they were reserved for use in court.  King Rama I  sent artists to China to assist and learn, and in the last half of the 19th Century they started to make very coarse Benjarong pieces in Thailand.  In recent years, Benjarong of superb quality has originated out of the Thai ceramics industry, of which we have some wonderful examples.

The gold in the glaze contains real gold metal, and is a later Thai addition to traditional Benjarong colours.  This form of Benjarong is called Lai Nam tong and was introduced in the 19th Centuries.

Benjarong is very rare in South Africa, and we have a small collection in Johannesburg, which is well worth visiting.