Dong Marum vessel. Thailand, Iron Age, 1st millennium B.C.

Dong Marum vessel. Thailand, Iron Age, 1st millennium BCE.
Terracotta.
Condition: generally good.
Provenance: private collection, Mr. H., Hossegor, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France.
Thermoluminescence test included.
Measurements: 20.5 cm high; 30 cm long.

Terracotta vessel associated with the material culture of Dong Marum, a site located in the present-day province of Lopburi, in central Thailand. The piece features a wide, low body, a raised circular rim, a small foot, and incised decoration arranged in horizontal bands, with repeated curvilinear motifs running across the exterior surface.

Dong Marum is known for its Iron Age ceramic materials, with objects dating back more than 2,700 years. Some vessels from this area feature elaborate decorations and have been interpreted as prestige pieces or items for ritual use, possibly associated with funerary contexts and the deposition of food or objects for the afterlife.

In this example, the incised decoration of undulating lines and textured fields lends the surface a remarkable visual dynamism. The robust form, the flared rim, and the width of the body suggest a vessel of a ceremonial or prestigious nature, rather than a simple utilitarian piece. The surface retains signs characteristic of archaeological antiquity, with wear, deposits, and faint visible lines that do not detract from the overall impact.