Thai bronzeware – a two-century old handicraft

Thai bronzeware
a two-century old handicraft

Thai bronzeware is a little known Thai handicraft in making stone polished bronze bowls or "khan long hin," an art that has been handed down for six generations since the Ayutthaya era.

This old traditional bronzeware craft is a specialty of the Baan Bu community in Bangkok Noi across on the Thonburi bank of the Chao Phraya, a craft that has survived for more than 200 years!

A 200 year old legacy

Bowls and trays are made from smelting copper and tin to produce the bronze alloy sheet. These sheets are then heated in a charcoal fire and repeatedly hammered by two persons in turn to the required shape. It's a hot, laborious and tedious process.

The next stage consists of grinding and smoothening the surface of the bowl to refine the shape further. The bowls and trays are traditionally polished with stone to a fine glossy finish. Intricate designs are then etched on to the surface. Designs can be done on request.

All the steps in producing the Thai bronzeware have been preserved since the old days, except today, electric tools have replaced the stones for polishing.

The Jiam Saeng Sajja Bronze Factory, which produces this Thai bronzeware, is located in Bangkok Noi near the Bangkok Noi Museum. The factory is part of the OTOP program to promote traditional Thai arts and craft products.

OTOP (One Tambon One Product) is a government project to promote indigenous Thai handicraft among the various sub-districts (tambon) in the country, both for domestic sales and exports. With state support in marketing and promotions, the craftsmen can then concentrate on producing their handicraft and preserving the art.

The showroom has several beautiful pieces of bronzeware on display. These include bowls for fruits, salad, sugar and cream with elaborately engraved designs. In the workshop behind, men and women toil laboriously on producing the Thai bronzeware, beating away continuously.

In the showroom

Given the arduous task, it's no surprise that the craftsmen and women are mostly middle-aged. As it takes years to perfect their skills, few young people wish to take on this craft.

Can this traditional art of Thai bronzeware be preserved for future generations?

Setback for the Baan Bu community

Early on 6 January 2006, a fire razed 35 homes in the Ban Bu community in Bangkok Noi. Thankfully, no one was injured. The cause of the fire is unknown. The store of the famous Jiam Saeng Sajja Bronze Factory was completely destroyed.

Luckily, the workshop with its original tools for making the bronzeware is still intact. As one of the 12 old communities designated to promote tourism, we hope that efforts can be made to help restore the Ban Bu community.

Surviving the blaze

Good news - Ban Bu Thai bronzeware reopens

I tried to call the Jiam Saeng Sajja Bronze Factory in the Ban Bu community in Bangkok Noi in early March 2007, in the hope that they might have reopened for business.

I feared the worst when I didn't get a reply for several days. Well, on 8 March 2007, someone answered the phone and redirected me to another number.

The factory has reopened for business in the same location.

Revisiting Ban Bu

I revisited the Ban Bu and the Thai bronzeware factory on 4 February 2009 to take the photos for this page. It was more than four years since my first visit and I had a little difficulty finding my way through the narrow sois. I’m grateful to the friendly and helpful people in the neighborhood.

The site of the old showroom which was burnt down is now a garden with a sala. The old workshop is still intact and the new showroom is to the rear of the grounds.

Process of making Thai bronzeware

There are six steps in the making of the bronze utensil. Imagine how tedious it would be to do this with stones and not modern electric tools.

Step 1 - Heating and knocking

This is the toughest part. It’s hot and tiring work. I only managed to get a shot of the heating process.

Hot work

All the other steps were not in progress unlike my last visit. Perhaps it’s a sign of slack demand. So I’ll have to use photos from the posters for some of the steps.

Feeding the flames

Two people sit by the fire and alternately heat and beat the metal into the desired shape

Knocking it into shape

Step 2 - Shaping up

This stage is to knock out the bumps left from the initial heating and hammering.

Shaping up

Step 3 - Lathe

The bowl is fitted to a lathe to smoothen out the interior and exterior surfaces.

Smoothening out

Step 4 - Filing

Filing the mouth of the bowl to make it perfectly circular and to cut designs on the surface

Filing

Step 5 - Polishing

The stage was only added in modern times. It’s like a bigger version of the brush the dentist uses to polish our teeth! The purpose is to remove scratches and marks from the surface.

Polishing up

Step 6 - Final shine

In the old days, fine stones or burnt earth wrapped in cloth soaked in coconut oil were used to shine the surface of the bronzeware. Today electric polishers are used to bring the bowl to a shiny finish.

Here’s the finished product. Eight large bronze bowls take about four days and six people to complete the task.

Glittering Thai bronzeware

Latest development

During my visit I noticed work in progress to build two new piers and a tiled walkway. These piers are meant for the tourist boats which ply the Bangkok Noi canal. Hopefully this will bring more visitors to sustain this old community in Bangkok

Looking forward to more visitors

Acknowledgment

I wish to thank Khun Metta and Khun Doi for their kind permission to photograph the showroom and workshop and for the information on the process of making Thai bronzeware.

Contact details

Khun Metta Salanon

Tel: 662- 424 – 1689 or 662 881 7443

Mobile: 081 615 7840 or 081 838 4178

Address:

Jiam Sang Sajja Bronze Factory
133 Charan Santiwong Soi 32
Siriraj, Bangkok Noi
Bangkok 10700

It’s open every day. Give a call before you visit though.

For the location of the bronzeware factory, please see map to Bangkok Noi Museum.

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