via Art Institute of Chicago, 05 December 2023: Nicolas Revire writes about The Art Institute of Chicago’s collection of Bencharong, a “five-colored” enameled Thai porcelain, which originated from the early 20th-century endeavors of Theodor Peder Amundsen Ring. Acquiring these pieces during his time in Siam, Ring’s collection was partly sold to the Art Institute in 1923, coinciding with the opening of their new Asian art department. This collection, unique in its intricate designs and gold-washed patterns, has gained renewed attention, highlighting its historical and artistic significance.
Back home in Oslo, Ring donated a large portion of Bencharong wares to two local museums in 1904. We learn from his diaries that he traveled to New York in 1912 for “business purposes,” likely to visit some public museums, dealers, or private collectors in order to sell Bencharong wares. Whether or not Ring ever made it to Chicago in person is unknown. However, ten years later, a certain T. Mygdal, a prominent local pharmacist and dealer in photographic supplies, contacted the Art Institute in June 1922 to draw the museum’s attention to a large and “exceedingly interesting collection of Siamese pottery” available for sale in Europe, at the home of the owner in Norway. Photographs of over 200 pieces were shared with John Arthur MacLean (1879‒1964), then assistant director of the Art Institute and first curator of Asian art.
Source: An Early Collection of Bencharong Porcelain | The Art Institute of Chicago
