Penpan of Thailand presents a handsome, handcrafted ceramic cup and saucer with a look of woven wicker. The interior of the cup, it's rim and handle, and the center and rim of the saucer are glazed in celadon green with a crackled finish. Where the woven wicker motif is located--the exterior of the cup bowl and the outer border of the saucer--the ceramic is left the natural warm beige of the clay.

Penpan's Siam Celadon has won multiple awards for their handicrafts in Southeast Asia, and takes pride in using traditional, all-natural glaze formulas.

Product Features: 

• Dimension: 2.5" H x 4.4" W x 3.5" D
• Weight: 1.29
• Color: Beige
• Material: Ceramic
• Made in Thailand

Story Behind the art:
My name is Penpan Wangviwat. I am the owner of a celadon ceramics workshop, which was founded in 1976 as a part of other family endeavors. My passion for nature and the traditional lifestyle that has surrounded me has helped me to discover the art of pottery with the charm of ancient ceramics, such as the unearthed celadon wares from Thailand's Sukothai period.

Celadon is a name for an ancient Chinese innovation in ceramics discovered over 2000 years ago. I've been fascinated by the beauty of celadon ever since I was a student. At that time, I saw many famous traditional handicrafts, such as Thai silk, cotton, pottery, and wood sculptures.

In 1976, my friend and I started a small ceramic workshop for crafting celadon ware. We didn't know much about the process at first but, by learning from some craftsmen from older generations, we studied and improved our techniques. We started with just one ceramic kiln and 10 assistants. Our first line of products included plates, bowls, mugs, vases, and small home decor pieces that we sold to local people and tourists.

Our main strength is that we try to preserve the authentic celadon glazing mixture formula, which comes from two kinds of wood ash mixed with topsoil obtained from freshly harvested rice fields. The greenish color of celadon gives the each piece a glossy surface that is as beautiful as jade, without the use of chemical pigments. Celadon involves a reaction of the natural substances blended with the atmosphere of the high-temperature kiln. The position of each piece in the kiln is also a major part of the glazing process. The age of the two kinds of wood that provide the ash also influences the color shading. Each part of the process influences the others and is, in turn a characteristic of the standard green celadon. Charming in its glossy, but uneven color, celadon features a unique crackled surface, making each new piece distinct from the rest.

Due to Thailand's deforestation, the two kinds of wood that we used became rare. Also, the firing control technique has become too complicated to be competitive in the marketplace. Because of this, we use waste wood, such as reclaimed longan wood, among others. We have had to adjust the mixture formula and improve our design while suiting customers' tastes at the same time.

The workshop is my family's livelihood, and my daughter is my successor. I help with general operations, marketing, and standards. We have several departments, such as soil, glazing, molding, designing, etc. Teamwork is the most important element in handicrafts, and you need to be careful every step of the way.

The handmade touch of artisan skill creates variations in color, size and design. If buying two of the same item, slight differences should be expected. Note: Color discrepancies may occur between this product and your computer screen.

Imported