Guardian lion (fragment)

Mentions of the kingdom of Siam (actual Thailand) tended to emphasize the splendour and wealth of its capital, Ayutthaya but rarely had this wealth connected with the importance of the Sukhothai ceramic industry and its trade. For more than a 150 years, from the late 14th century to around 1580, the Sukhothai kilns supplied the local market but also the regional needs (mainly Philippines and Indonesia islands) of what was in many cases, a luxury item.

The Sukhothai kilns were located in Si Satchanalai (Ban Ko Noi kilns) and at Sukhothai proper. Ceramic production ceased in the late 16th century under the duress of Burmese invasions.

Ban Pa Yang, a kiln complex in the Ban Ko Noi group, was probably the main center of production centre for brown and white wares which included architectural fixtures and human and animal figures for domestic and temple use.