Fumio Shimada on wed 3 feb 99
I am going to visit Bangkok in Thailand in April, short trip.
I would like to know where should I go, and see some potter who lived near
in Bangkok.
If there was some information, and you could help me, I would appreciate it
very much!
Fumio Shimada
Louis Katz on fri 5 feb 99
Dear Fumio,
I have a short booklet that I sell for $7.00 U.S. called Traditional Pottery
Guide and Dictionary. The price includes postage inside the U.S. and Canada.
For an extra 1$ I can send it to Japan.
Near Bangkok, just up the river is a village spelled in English script Pakred,
in the river there is an Islan Koh Kred. You can read about Koh Kred in the
June/July August issue of Ceramics Monthly.
Also near Bangkok, a reasonable daytrip by bus is Ratchaburi , where they make
water japrs in long tube kilns.
Here are the sections from my booklet on Pakred and Koh Kred. The booklet also
includes Thai Script for most of the Thai place names.
Pakred and Kohkred(Changwat Nonthaburi) . Located up the river from Bangkok,
near Don Muang Airport. These pottery villages may be reached from Bangkok as
a day trip by boat or by bus. My best information has it that the following
buses go to Pakred: Bus 51,356, 32,104, 150 and Air bus 5 and 6. A new express
boat (1993) travels from downtown Bangkok to Pakred every hour. Although I had
been told it existed I had a
hard time finding the departure points in Bangkok. It would probably be a lot
easier to travel to Pakred by bus and to return on the boat. From Pakred it
leaves from the Leam Tong Dock for about 19 Baht. There is a 5 Baht
surcharge for the air-conditioned room on the boat.
As with most pottery villages activity is slow in the heat of the afternoon.
Try to arrive early in the day. Pakred refers to the village on the east bank
of the river and Koh Kred is an island in the river. The island is a quiet
retreat from the noise pollution and bustle of Bangkok. Ferry boats to go to
the island leave from either of the two Wats just south (downstream) of
downtown Pakred the fare (1993) is 1 Baht.
Pakred is best known for it's ubiquitous flower pots and beefy rock hard
mortars These mortars have an ash glaze on them that is surprisingly similar
in appearance to salt. The fuel is palm fronds grown in brackish areas. These
mortars can occasionally be seen for sale in Oriental grocery stores in the
U.S.
The potters of this village are Mon, and a very small museum on the island
shows traditional ornately carved Mon wares. Reproductions are of course
available for purchase.(see map).
Ratburi , or Ratchaburi is located 100 kilometers southwest of Bangkok on
Highway 4. Just as Detroit is known in the U.S. for Automobiles, Rbtburi is
known for its coil thrown slip decorated water jars. The potteries, large
enough to be called factories, are scattered throughout the town. They can be
recognized from the main highway by their tall chimneys and long roofs. The
slip is applied with the fingers when the pots are leather hard. The green
glazed water jars are fired in long tube kilns. Trucks loaded with more than
100 fifteen gallon water jars can frequently be seen leaving Ratburi. My best
guess is that there are 9 million such jars in use in Thailand today.
I hope you enjoy your visit.
Fumio Shimada wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I am going to visit Bangkok in Thailand in April, short trip.
> I would like to know where should I go, and see some potter who lived near
> in Bangkok.
> If there was some information, and you could help me, I would appreciate it
> very much!
>
> Fumio Shimada
--
Louis Katz
468 Homecrest
Corpus TX, 78412 USA
lkatz@falcon.tamucc.edu
NCECA Director At Large
Texas A&M-CC Division of Visual and Performing Arts Webmaster (512) 994-5987
Visit the NCECA World Ceramics Image Database
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