Southeast Asian Ceramics: Khmer, Lao, and Burmese Pottery Traditions

 

Ancient Lao Ceramics and the Lost Art of the Kilns

Lao ceramics, also called Lao pottery, is a traditional form of art in Laos that goes back thousands of years. This craft dates as far back as the third millennium BCE. It wasn’t just art. Ceramics played a big part in trade between Laos and other nearby regions. People used these items for everyday life, but they also crossed borders as valued goods.

How the Kilns Were Discovered

In 1970, workers digging near kilometer 3 on Thadeua Road in Vientiane came across something unexpected. Beneath the surface were signs of an ancient ceramic kiln. Work on the site stopped, but only for a short time. The excavation was rushed, done quickly without proper tools or care, and it lasted just a month.

That first kiln wasn’t the only one. Since then, at least four more have been found. Archaeologists believe there are around one hundred more kilns in the area called Ban Tao Hai, which means "Village of the Jar Kilns." This whole zone is now known as the Sisattanak Kiln Site.

What Makes These Kilns Stand Out

Experts disagree on how Lao kilns compare to others in Southeast Asia. Some scholars say they resemble the Siamese kilns found in places like Suphanburi and Si Satchanalai. Others argue that Lao kilns are their own thing. The cross-draft, clay-slab kilns in Laos are different from anything found in Thailand, Cambodia, or Burma. They reflect a unique ceramic method not copied from neighboring countries.

Only one kiln from the site, named VS8, has been properly studied. That kiln didn’t use bricks. It had a square chimney base, a narrow firebox, and part of the structure sat above ground. It’s not like other kilns in the region.

Dating the Site and the Ceramics

The kilns at Sisattanak sit just outside the old city walls of Vientiane, which were built in the 1400s. Carbon testing shows the kiln at VS8 likely dates to between the 15th and 17th centuries. Most signs point to the earlier end of that range.

Surface clues help support this. Kilns found higher on the land tend to have more glazed pottery. That tells us that over time, potters might have moved their work sites to higher ground and produced more refined, glazed pieces. At VS8, located at a lower point, the ceramics were plain and practical. These included water pipes, everyday vessels, and building parts. These were clearly made for local use.

What Was Found in the Excavation

The VS8 site had both glazed and unglazed ceramics. Most of the glazed items were pipes. Over 1,500 pieces were recovered, some whole, others in fragments. The design and quality show a long tradition of skilled pottery. The style of the pipes also suggests they might have been made for trade outside Laos.

From everything collected so far, it looks like Lao potters used one type of clay, mixed with a small amount of quartz. Both the clay and quartz were crushed into fine particles. The glaze came in a soft, pale green similar to celadon, or in several shades of brown. Some pieces had an olive-toned glaze, close to what’s seen in older Thai ceramics.

The Style and Texture of Lao Ceramics

A lot of the glazed pottery from Laos has fluted or ribbed surfaces. This texture looks much like traditional Lao silver bowls, including both the standard bowls and the taller stem bowls. Ceramic versions of those stem bowls have been found right on the surface at Sisattanak.

Lao ceramics weren’t flashy. Decorations were simple. Artists used light stamping, gentle incisions, or ridges to add detail. The unglazed items followed the same idea. They didn’t have the carved or pressed designs that are common in pottery from nearby countries.

The excavation at VS8 gave real proof that Lao ceramics deserve more attention. It showed that this wasn’t just basic pottery. There was structure, detail, and tradition behind it. More digs in the future will likely confirm what many believe now: that the ceramic craft in Laos was just as strong as in any other Southeast Asian country.

 

Burmese Ceramics: A Long History of Clay, Trade, and Craftsmanship

Burmese ceramics, also known as Burmese pottery, is one of the oldest ceramic traditions in Southeast Asia. The roots of this craft stretch back to the third millennium BCE. These handmade wares were not just local products. They were part of a much larger trade network that linked what is now Myanmar to its surrounding regions.

Kyaukmyaung and the Heart of Burmese Pottery

One key place still tied to this craft is the village of Kyaukmyaung in Sagaing. For generations, this village has been known for its pottery-making. It remains an important center for traditional ceramic production today.

Before the 1980s, Burmese ceramics weren’t well documented. Most of what people knew came from small clues, like the glazed plaques in Bagan or earthenware pots found at old dig sites. People also believed that Martaban, a historic port, once produced large ceramic storage jars. But much of this was theory, not fact.

Tak Om Koi and a Shift in the Story

That changed in 1984. Along the Thai-Myanmar border, at the Tak Om Koi burial sites, archaeologists found a new type of pottery. These were mainly green-and-white glazed wares. This discovery helped open the door to deeper research into Burmese ceramics.

Efforts to learn more picked up after that. For example, in 2020, an article in the Myanmar Times discussed archaeological digs at the Phayagyi kiln near Twante. Another important excavation was the Kaw Tar Kiln Site, studied by Hiroshi Sugiyama and Yuni Sato. These digs uncovered more proof of a strong and diverse ceramic tradition in Southeast Myanmar.

The Martaban Jar and Its Global Reach

The term "Martaban," sometimes spelled "martavan," refers to large, brown-glazed jars made of stoneware. These jars were built for storage. They had thick walls, wide shoulders, and narrow, tapered bases. The glaze was usually deep brown, sometimes so dark it looked black.

These jars weren’t just used in Myanmar. They made their way across the region and beyond. In the 14th century, the Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta noted seeing these large jars used to ship goods like pepper, mango, and citron preserved in salt.

Even though some experts, like Roxanna Brown, say Martaban jars are rarely found in Southeast Asian shipwrecks, pieces of them have turned up in wrecks off the coast of Goa, India. That shows they were traded far outside the region, even into western Asia.

Where the Martaban Jars Were Really Made

Even though they’re named after the port of Martaban, now called Mottama in southern Myanmar, no one knows for sure where the jars were actually produced. Western texts don’t name a clear origin. It’s possible the jars were made elsewhere and simply moved through Martaban before being traded by sea.

What’s clear is that Martaban jars traveled widely. Pieces have been found not only in Southeast Asia, like in the Philippines and Indonesia, but also in Okinawa. From there, they were shipped to other parts of Japan.

A Craft with Deep Regional Ties

Burmese ceramics were part of a much larger trade system that linked cultures across Asia. From the kilns near Twante and Kaw Tar to the coastal jars of Martaban, Burmese pottery holds both artistic and historic value. As more kiln sites are explored, the depth and variety of this tradition will likely become even clearer.

Lagunbyee Kilns and the Rise of Burmese Celadon

Lagunbyee was once an ancient town in the Irrawaddy delta, sitting between Yangon and Bago. It was enclosed by curved earthen walls, a detail that helps date the site. Along the creek system running through this old town, over a hundred kiln sites have been found. These weren’t small or basic. They were large cross-draft kilns, designed to fire high-temperature green glazes.

Dating the Lagunbyee Kilns

Scholars Myo Thant Tyn and U Thaw Kaung suggest two possible time periods for these kilns. One theory ties them to the Pyu era, between the 1st and 9th centuries CE. That’s based on the curved earthen walls, which match the style of Pyu settlements.

Another theory connects them to the Shwegugyi Pagoda, built by the Mon King Dhammaceti between 1462 and 1492. This temple is just 16 kilometers from the kiln sites and is covered in glazed plaques dated to 1479, the year it was founded. Since these kilns are the closest ones able to make those plaques, it’s possible they were in use at that same time. But because the plaques might have been added later, the exact date of the kilns remains open.

Finds from the 1999 Excavation

A dig at Lagunbyee in 1999 turned up paddle-marked earthenware, including plates, jars, and other shapes. One standout discovery was white lead-glazed pottery. Some of the plates had plain surfaces except for lightly carved circles on the inside. These details, plain bodies, foot rings, and interior markings, match what’s known about Burmese white ware.

Burmese Celadons and Their Spread

Celadon ceramics found at the Tak Om Koi burial site, on the Thai-Myanmar border, didn’t match known Thai celadon. That raised questions about their origin. Some celadon dishes have also turned up in the Philippines. Their bases show the same ring designs found in Burmese ware, suggesting they came from Myanmar.

Further evidence came from shipwrecks. Research by Roxanna Brown confirmed that Burmese celadon was shipped to Indonesia. In fact, by the late 1400s, these exports may have even passed Thai celadon in reach and volume. Other reports show Burmese celadon appearing in Aceh, in northern Sumatra, around the same time.

The Kilns of Twante

By the end of the 1990s, fifty kiln groups were identified in the Twante district, not far from Lagunbyee. This region is about 32 kilometers southwest of Yangon, still within the Irrawaddy delta. These kilns turned out a wide variety of pottery, including unglazed pieces, white opaque-glazed wares, and plenty of celadon. The green celadon dominated the finds.

Tests on green-and-white ceramics from both the Tak Om Koi site and northern Sumatra show the clay and glazes are very close to the ones from Twante. That points to Twante as a main source of these exports. But looting has damaged many of these sites, so it’s hard to trace exactly which kiln made which piece.

The Design and Influence Behind the Glaze

One green-and-white plate from Twante, dated to the 15th century, stands out for its floral motif inside a circular frame. Roxanna Brown noted that this kind of circle design, called a rondel, might be a sign of Middle Eastern influence. It resembles the "evil eye" symbol seen in Islamic art. This connection gets stronger when looking at the glaze materials. The use of tin, lead, and copper is not native to Southeast Asia or China. These elements were more common in Middle Eastern ceramics. It’s likely that the glazing techniques behind Burmese green-and-white ware had roots outside the region.

A Forgotten Center of Ceramic Innovation

Lagunbyee and Twante were more than just old kiln sites. They were major centers of ceramic production, shaping how Burmese pottery looked and traveled. From lead-glazed dishes to green celadon plates with foreign motifs, the work done in these kilns reflects both local skill and outside influence. As more pieces are studied and more kilns uncovered, it’s becoming clear that Myanmar played a larger role in the history of Asian ceramics than most people realize.

Early Burmese Glazed Ceramics and the Temples of Bagan

Bagan holds some of the oldest known examples of glazed ceramics in Myanmar. The decorative plaques on its temples are the earliest surviving pieces. But there are even earlier records. In the 9th century, Chinese Tang texts mention that the capital of the Piao Kingdom, likely near present-day Pyu in central Myanmar, had city walls built from green-glazed bricks. Those walls were surrounded by a brick-lined moat.

Still, no actual glazed bricks have been found at Pyu. What we do have are glazed ceramics at Bagan, a city that became a major political and cultural center by the 11th century. Unlike the green-glazed bricks described in Chinese records, the ceramics at Bagan weren’t used for structural walls. They were attached to the outside of stupas as decoration.

Lead-Glazed Wares and Early Kiln Discoveries

Lead-glazed ceramics in Myanmar go beyond temple plaques. They also show up in temple fittings and in domestic pottery. These pieces have been discovered across a wide area, from Bagan in the north to Bago, formerly known as Pegu, in the south.

In 1963, archaeologists found and began to excavate the first known Burmese kilns near Bagan, close to the Abeyadana temple. There was hope that these kilns had produced the glazed temple plaques. But none of the leftover fragments from those kiln sites matched the plaques. There were no discarded reliefs or glazed bricks. A second excavation in 1999 confirmed the same thing. There’s still no clear evidence on how the kilns functioned or what exactly they made.

Bagan Glazes Came Before Cizhou Wall Tiles

One important fact: glazed ceramic wall tiles were already in use at Bagan about two centuries before similar tiles appeared in China’s Cizhou kilns in the 14th century. But Bagan was not the only place to decorate buildings with ceramic glazes. Islamic architecture in central Asia also used glazed tiles, possibly around the same time or even earlier.

The Bagan glazes were all opaque. They ranged in color from green to greenish blue, with some yellow and cream tones. These glazes had a glossy finish when first applied, but weather has dulled their shine. They were fired at low temperatures and used mainly green and white tones. Chemical tests show that tin and lead were used in the glaze mix. That points to a possible link with Middle Eastern ceramic techniques, although more research is needed to confirm this.

Looting Has Hurt Burmese Ceramic History

Understanding the full timeline of Burmese ceramics has been hard, mainly because of widespread looting. Much of the evidence has been stolen. In one case from 1984, at the Shwegugyi temple in Pegu, a caretaker named Kyaw Shein tried to stop a group of thieves from taking hundreds of artifacts. A few months later, more looters showed up and took thousands more. Sites in Bagan have also been hit, especially by those hoping to find gold.

Shwebo and the Mystery of the White-Glazed Plates

Shwebo, located in the upper Irrawaddy region, was once home to the Pyu city-state of Hanlin, active between the 4th and 9th centuries CE. Shwebo has produced ceramic pieces, and while kilns have been found there, they haven’t been properly studied. Some Burmese ceramics from the 17th century have turned up in Bengkulu, in southwest Sumatra. These include white-glazed plates with red clay bodies. Experts think they may come from Shwebo, but that theory is still being tested.

Everyday Pottery and the Disappearing Water Pots

A jar from the 17th or 18th century tells us more about everyday Burmese ceramic work. This piece is thick and heavy, with a white slip on the top half and a yellow-green glaze layered over it. At the line where the glaze ends, it turns a purplish color. The inside of the jar is also glazed.

In the past, unglazed earthenware water pots were a regular part of life in Myanmar. You’d see them outside nearly every house, sitting on small stands with a cup on top. Sometimes they were covered with cloth, leaves, or a tin lid. These pots offered drinking water to travelers and strangers. They were a way to show kindness and also to make merit in the Buddhist sense. But these once-common pots are now fading away. Fewer people use them, and a quiet piece of daily tradition is slowly disappearing.

 

Khmer Ceramics: Ancient Craftsmanship in Cambodia

Khmer ceramics are traditional pottery and ceramic works that come from Cambodia’s long history of art and craftsmanship. This practice goes back to the third millennium BCE and was a key part of trade between Cambodia and nearby regions. These pieces weren’t just household tools. They were part of daily life and played a role in cultural exchange.

Where Khmer Ceramics Are Preserved

Some of the most important pieces of Khmer pottery are kept in museums. The Musée Guimet in Paris has a large collection of historic Cambodian ceramics. In Cambodia itself, the National Museum in Phnom Penh holds one of the richest collections. In 2006, the Khmer Ceramics & Fine Arts Centre opened in Siem Reap. The goal was to bring back ancient pottery methods that had been lost over time.

How the Potter’s Wheel Changed Khmer Ceramics

Around the late 6th to early 7th century, Khmer potters started using the wheel. This was a major shift that made it easier to produce more pottery faster. A Khmer inscription from 674 compares the act of creation to spinning clay on a wheel, showing how important this tool had become. At the time, potters sometimes used slip and paint for decoration. But by 800, those methods faded when glazed stoneware first started to appear.

Early Glazed Ceramics in Southeast Asia

The first glazed Khmer ceramics that weren’t influenced by Chinese styles were linked to two Khmer kings, Indravarman and Yasovarman, who ruled from the 880s to around 940. It’s still unclear how these techniques made their way into Cambodia. But once introduced, the use of glazed stoneware became part of the Khmer ceramic tradition.

Even though Khmer pottery was refined and advanced, it didn’t travel far outside the Khmer cultural region. These works stayed close to home, unlike the widely traded ceramics from other parts of Asia.

Phnom Kulen and the Origins of Glazed Wares

Phnom Kulen sits about 40 kilometers east of Angkor. It’s known for having piles of old pottery wasters, or broken pieces left behind after firing. These remains have been known since 1901. The site holds huge importance in Khmer history because King Jayavarman II held a major ritual there in 802, which many see as the founding moment of the Angkor kingdom.

The term “Kulen glaze” refers to a thin coating found on many of these ceramic pieces. The glaze colors range from creamy white to pale green. It was most likely made using wood ash. Tests on a roof tile showed it contained uranium oxide. Other studies found that cupric oxide was the main source of the green coloring.

This pale green glaze shows up across many kiln sites, not just at Phnom Kulen. It's used to describe most Khmer ceramics with yellowish to greenish hues, as opposed to darker glazed types that range from brown and black to mottled olive tones.

Khmer pottery is known for having rough surfaces. The clay was made from sandstone and often felt grainy. The body of the ceramics could be buff white, dark grey, or spotted with reddish brown.

The Kiln Complex at Thnal Mrech

In 2007, archaeologists started digging at Phnom Kulen and uncovered the kiln complex known as Thnal Mrech. These kilns date back to the early 11th century, but full reports haven’t been released yet. During the dig, researchers found three kinds of firing supports used in the kilns.

One type looked like short, thick clay rolls that probably helped steady the pottery during firing. Another was shaped like half-cylinders and placed on the kiln floor. The last type was made of small clay balls that helped separate stacked pots as they fired.

Along with the pale green glazes often found at Kulen, the Thnal Mrech site also had light brown glazed ceramics. This proves that brown-glazed Khmer pottery wasn’t only made in northeast Thailand. It was also produced in Cambodian sites like Phnom Kulen.

What We Still Don’t Know About Khmer Kilns

Even with these discoveries, the study of Khmer kilns is still early. Archaeologists haven’t pinned down an exact timeline for how kiln use developed. There's a lot left to uncover.

Roluos, a site about 16 kilometers southeast of Siem Reap, is also part of the story. It holds three temples from the late 9th century and may have been a royal capital before Angkor’s big expansion began.

Bang Kong Kilns and the Early Days of Khmer Glazed Pottery

About 4 kilometers north of the Roluos temple group sits Bang Kong, one of the earliest kiln sites tied to Khmer glazed ceramics. Some of the first green-glazed sherds were found here. These fragments came from items like bowls, tiles, and bottles, all made from well-processed clay and fired with care. Most of the recovered pieces were small lidded boxes with cord-cut marks on their bases, a clear sign they were made on a potter’s wheel.

What made these finds interesting is their age. Before this, 8th-century sites in the region had only simple earthenware, often unglazed, and at most decorated with red paint. So when green-glazed items showed up at Bang Kong, it raised questions about when and how glazing reached Khmer potters in the first place.

Recent digs at Bang Kong have identified 39 kiln structures. Radiocarbon testing puts them in the late 9th century. That makes this the oldest confirmed kiln site in the Angkor area. The style of pottery from Bang Kong is clearly different from the ones found at Phnom Kulen, suggesting regional variation even in early Khmer times.

Glazed Ceramics Beyond the Angkor Region

The use of green glazes reached its peak in the early 11th century, but then it started to decline. Still, Khmer-style ceramics didn’t just stay in Cambodia. The provinces of Buriram and Surin, now part of Thailand but close to the Cambodian border, have turned up over 200 kiln sites. These areas sit on the Khorat Plateau, roughly 370 kilometers northeast of Bangkok.

Even though these provinces are outside modern Cambodia, the pottery produced there followed Khmer styles. French archaeologist Bernard P. Groslier once called it “provincial” Khmer pottery. Some take that to mean it was less refined than the work from the Angkor heartland, but the differences likely had more to do with location and local materials than with artistic quality.

These kiln sites are scattered across the southern parts of both Buriram and Surin. They didn’t operate on the scale of the big ceramic centers like Sukhothai or Sawankhalok in central Thailand, but they were still active and important.

Many of the sites sit along what used to be Angkorian roads, heading toward places like Phimai. That site houses a major Khmer temple whose base dates to the 11th century. Another important location is Prasat Ban Phluang in Surin province, where over 4,000 pottery sherds were found near a Khmer temple from the same period. Of those, 270 vessels were reconstructed. Another 126 could not be pieced back together, but their shapes show a wide range of earthenware forms. Since no written dates were found during the excavation, the pottery had to be dated based on its link to the temple, which likely remained in use through the 12th century.

What We Know About the Buriram and Surin Kilns

There are several kiln sites in Buriram and Surin worth noting. These include Ban Thanon Noi in Ban Kruat district, Ban Baranae, Ban Sawai, and Prakon Chai. Since little detailed research has been done on each site, they’re usually studied as one group. Because of political instability along the Thai-Cambodian border, excavations have been limited since the 1970s.

What’s known is that these kilns mainly produced brown-glazed stoneware. Most of the work was done between the 11th and early 12th centuries, before Angkor Wat was built. During this time, the Khorat Plateau was a growing center of Khmer culture. Important temples like Phimai were being built there, and this same region would eventually produce the royal line that oversaw the construction of Angkor Wat.

Ban Thanon Noi had three kilns. They were studied briefly before being destroyed in 1985. These were cross-draft kilns with two long chambers, each about 26 meters by 5 or 6 meters, sharing a chimney. They turned out bowls and covers made from smooth white clay. Some pieces had a second glaze layer where brown was added over green, but only on the base of the bowls. This glazing technique was unique to Ban Thanon Noi and hasn’t been found at other sites in Buriram.

Khmer Pottery’s Reach and Legacy

From Bang Kong to Buriram, Khmer ceramics covered a wide area and reflected many different methods. While the heart of production stayed close to Angkor, these kiln sites show that Khmer ceramic art extended far beyond, with regional touches and localized practices. Glazed pottery, once rare, spread and evolved, helping shape the broader story of Southeast Asian ceramics.

Covered Bowls and Decorative Boxes in Khmer Kilns

The kilns across Northeast Thailand produced more than just simple wares. At sites like Buriram, potters made covered bowls and lidded boxes with intricate designs. Some of these had a smooth green glaze on the outside and a glossy brown glaze on the inside. A few rare pieces were coated in white glaze. Potters also used a second type of clay, darker and grey in tone, for brown-glazed items like oil lamps, storage jars, boxes, and bowls.

Many Thai archaeologists view this kiln site as one of the most skilled in the Buriram region. It even produced two-tone, or bichromatic, pottery. Waste fragments found in the area prove that green and brown glazed ceramics were fired at the same time, using the same kilns.

Green-Glazed Pottery at Ban Baranae

While the Buriram kilns are mostly known for their brown glazes, they weren’t limited to that. Ban Baranae, another kiln site nearby, made green-glazed bowls with flat bases and thin glaze. These bowls were everyday items. Some jars had chevron patterns etched into their shoulders, then coated in olive green glaze. Potters here also made unusual things like rectangular cowbells. These had Khmer script carved into the surface, showing a clear cultural link to the Khmer Empire.

Roof Tiles and Temple Fittings at Prakon Chai

In Prakon Chai, another district in the region, archaeologists have found roof ornaments and tile ends that match designs seen at Angkor and Phnom Kulen. The shapes are nearly the same, but unlike the glazed tiles near Angkor, these Thai versions were left unglazed. Still, the similarity points to shared architectural traditions.

Khmer Kilns and Angkorian Ceramics

The old Khmer kilns scattered throughout Northeast Thailand made many items that look a lot like those from the Angkor Empire. These included forms and styles common in Angkorian ceramics, especially from the 9th to the 14th centuries. The most active period of production fell between the 11th and 13th centuries. The word "Angkorian" refers to pottery found near Angkor temples and in places once ruled by the Khmer Kingdom. Most of the artifacts have turned up around Angkor Wat, but the reach was wide.

Even though many of these wares have been discovered, their exact production sites remain unclear. Many temples were looted long ago. And while a few kiln sites have been found, they haven’t been fully researched yet.

The Role of Groslier’s Research

French archaeologist Bernard Philippe Groslier studied Angkor’s ceramic remains during the 1960s and 70s. His work revealed that most Angkorian ceramics were made on a wheel, glazed, and fired in kilns. These were not low-fired pieces. They were glazed stoneware, strong and refined.

Based on where they were found, many of these pots and vessels were likely used for temple rituals. Their shapes were specific and tied to religion. But other finds, especially at the Royal Palace of Angkor Thom, show there was a clear divide between ordinary ceramic goods and more refined, high-status wares.

Mixing of Styles and the Challenge of Dating

One major problem is that most of these finds come from burial sites, temple ruins, or hidden caches. Different pieces from different centuries end up buried together, making it hard to sort them by date. Groslier pointed out that the situation is further complicated by the long history of Chinese imports, which were not only brought into the region but also copied locally. Potters often reused styles, shapes, and methods depending on demand.

Still, the timeline Groslier outlined in his 1981 book on Khmer ceramics remains the best tool for organizing what’s been found.

Zoomorphic Jars and Lime Storage

Around the 11th century, new shapes appeared. These included animal-shaped pots and jars. The clay got finer too, turning more grey in color. One common example was the elephant-shaped jar. Some of these still have lime residue inside, which suggests they were used to hold lime for betel chewing.

Groslier also noted that after the year 1100, potters added more surface detail to these animal vessels. They carved, incised, and molded patterns into the clay. These features help date the pieces today.

Gourd Shapes and Brown Glazes

Gourd-shaped jars and bottles also started showing up in the same era. Brown glaze became more common. A bottle shaped like a human figure with a gourd-like body was found near the Srah Srang burial site. That’s southeast of Angkor Thom’s East Gate. The burial ground dates to the rule of Jayavarman VI, between 1080 and 1107. The location hints that this form of pottery may have been used in funeral practices.

The Decline After 1177

Groslier marked the year 1177 as a turning point. That’s when Cham invaders attacked and sacked Angkor. After that, Khmer culture began to decline. The ceramics from this later period reflect that drop in quality. Glazes started to flake and crack. The once clear and rich colors turned dull and uneven, often yellowish in tone. This decline in craftsmanship lines up with the political and cultural instability that followed.

 

The Special Asian Blog Collection:

1. Ceramic Production in Southeast Asia: Historical Periods, Styles, and Techniques

2. History of Ceramics in the Malay Region: Ancient Pottery, Cultural Heritage, and Trade in Southeast Asia

3. Vietnamese Ceramics History: Ancient Pottery, Trade, and Craftsmanship

4. Traditional Philippine Pottery: Tapayan Jars, Earthenware, and Indigenous Ceramic Heritage

5. History of Thai Ceramics and Traditional Pottery Art

6. Southeast Asian Ceramics: Khmer, Lao, and Burmese Pottery Traditions

7. Historic Southeast Asian Shipwrecks with Ancient Ceramics: Maritime Trade and Sunken Treasures

8. Top Museums in Asia for Southeast Asian Ceramics: Where to See Ancient Pottery and Porcelain