The Royal Porcelain from Siam:  The Ring Collection of Bencharong Exhibition was inaugurated on 21^st November 2013 by H.E. Mr. Theerakun Niyom, Ambassador of Thailand to Norway and Mr. Øivind Fuglerud, Acting Director of the Museum of Cultural History at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo.  On the same occasion, the book “Royal Porcelain from Siam: Unpacking the Ring Collection”, edited by Anne Håbu and Dawn Rooney. to commemorate the opening of the said exhibition,  was launched.

     Bencharong is a traditional form of Thai ceramics, well-known for its multi-color hand-painted patterns.  The history of Bencharong can be traced back to the times of the ancient Thai Kingdom of Ayutthaya (1351-1767) where it was used as household items and decorations exclusively by the Royal Court and nobility.  The original owner and donator of this collection was Captain Theodor Peder Amundsen Ring, a Norwegian adventurer who went to sea in 1882, then moving to the Far East to work with the Chinese customs bureau, before moving on to Siam during the reign of HM King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) to serve in the Siamese Navy from 1897 to 1906.  The highlight of Captain Ring’s career in the Siamese Navy was his promotion to captain of the “Maha Chakri,” the Royal Yacht of HM King Chulalongkorn, in 1902.  Captain Ring finally returned to Norway in 1906, bringing with him his collection of Bencharong ceramics.  He later donated the collection to the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Norway.

     The very presence of Bencharong Royal Porcelain here in Norway epitomizes the rich historical bonds between the  Kingdoms of Thailand and Norway and serves as the hallmark of the close friendship between our two peoples.