Jar with tiered lid

This urn-shaped jar held soup or sweet syrup (several types of Siamese desserts require adding sweetness to their coconut sauce base). Traditionally, in aristocratic homes, meals were served from large containers on stands. Each person had a tray with individual dishes for rice, chili paste, vegetables, and meat or fish. Dessert was served later on a separate tray, and drinks were served on other trays.

Ceramics of this type are known as bencharong (Sanskrit: pancharanga), which means "five colored." They are thought to have been made in Jingdezhen, China. The designs and decorative motifs would have been sent from Siam, and Siamese officials would possibly have gone along to oversee production.