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Khun Santiparp

"My name is Pongphol Santiparp but I am also called 'Khun' Santiparp, which in English is equivalent to 'Mister' Santiparp. I was an only child born on July 27, 1969.

"The Royal Palace employed my ancestors as Benjarong craftsmen for the Royal Court in Bangkok. Through the generations, my family operated out of Bangkok, where my grandmother began the first family shop after receiving a commission from the Royal Family. Though now devoted to the public, my family maintains the exquisite Siamese craftsmanship. One day, one of my mother's cousins persuaded her to start a Benjarong workshop here. She asked me what I thought of the idea and whether I would help her to set it up or not. Of course I agreed. So, my mother opened this workshop in 1991, and I began working with her. Today, I work with 14 talented artisans who genuinely love Benjarong and who put their heart into its making. Without this love they would not be able to craft these wares that require such an extreme patience and solid experience. Young people regularly come here hoping to become Benjarong artisans. But it is a difficult job and most of them quickly give up… or more precisely, run away.

"My work is really a genuine Thai handicraft that originated during the later Ayudhaya period, 400 years ago. I learned everything I know from my mother, from Benjarong artisans and from books. I now craft only limited quantities of fine quality Benjarong. The master painter and I design together both forms and motifs of each piece. My family for a long time has used most of its own motifs as well as standard ones, taken from historical books. I do not particularly want to change these motifs, which I find beautiful, but I admit frequently taking a piece like a tea pot and giving it a fresh modern look to satisfy the Occidental markets. And to satisfy my customers with modern shapes and new motifs is the greatest challenge in my work. Because I found blending Occidental and Thai style a very difficult thing to do, our cultures being so different and sometimes so conflicting.

"I used to exhibit my work in the cities of Lampang and Chiang Rai where I was awarded with medals. I also came second in Novica's contest and received an award as well. By the way I think it is a good chance to have Novica providing the world with our Benjarong. Moreover, marketing through the Internet is a great and modern way to reach customers. I want to tell all these customers that my Benjarong is handmade and it takes me time and patience to present it to you. It represents a genuine art of important cultural and historical values. My goal is to make perfectly crafted Benjarong and to present it to the world."

Benjarong takes its name from the Sanskrit words panch and rang, which means "five colors." It refers to the traditional style of hand-painted Thai porcelain. Red, yellow, white, green, and blue are the most frequently used colors. In the 1300s, during the Ming Dynasty, the Kings of Thailand ordered Benjarong from Chinese potters. But in the early 1800s during the reign of King Rama II, Thai artisans began producing Benjarong for the Royal Court with a slight variation, which they named lai nam thong, or "gold washed design." This technique consists in outlining the decoration with liquid gold. The popularity of Benjarong increased with the rise of a wealthy elite of merchants and aristocrats, although later on these wares became reasonably affordable.

Santiparp kneads a mixture of kaolin and then shapes the piece. Once dry, it is fired for five to six hours at 800 degrees C and glazed with a mixture of burnt lime, wood ashes, and secret natural materials. The piece is fired again for twelve to thirteen hours at a temperature of 1,280 degrees C. When the piece is totally cooled, Santiparp applies gild and enamel by hand, one color at a time. He fires the piece a third time for five to six hours at 700 to 800 degrees C in an electric kiln with electronically controlled temperatures.