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of them were from the Yuan and early Ming dynasty. Only ‘Ming Gap’ is related to an increase in knowledge
four pieces were dated to the mid-Ming. concerning the dating of Longquan ware. The alleged lack
In terms of production date, the findings were as follows: of Chinese ceramic exports during the early Ming is due to
the fact that the early Ming Longquan celadons have been
• Apart from the six pieces of unidentified wares, only two incorrectly dated to the Yuan period. As a result, it is now
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(0.16%) of the 1,251 pieces of datable wares could be clear that the scale of ceramic export at this time was not
attributed to the Southern Song and they are both small, but was in fact dominated by Longquan wares. In her
Qingbai wares of Jingdezhen. study Roxanna Brown also mentioned that there was no
• Of the total number of items, 289 pieces (23.1%) were export of blue-and-white ceramics from the late Yuan to the
dated to the early and middle period of the Yuan dynasty end of the Chenghua reign (1352–1487), but this has also been
(1276–1332). Among these wares, 256 (88.58%) were disproved as blue-and-white and underglaze red wares of the
Longquan wares, 30 (10.38%) were Fujian, 2 (0.69%) were late Yuan and early Ming have been discovered in Kenya as
from Guangdong and 1 piece (10.35%) was Cizhou ware. shown in this chapter.
• There were 217 pieces (17.35%) of the total items that In examining the Chinese ceramics discovered at sites in
could be dated from the late Yuan to early Ming period the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean rim, it is possible
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(1333–1403). Among these objects, 182 pieces (83.87%) to believe that the commonly held notion that the Zheng He
were Longquan wares (including Longquan Type) and 35 navigations represented the peak of a new trading era is
(16.13%) pieces were from Jingdezhen, including some contradicted by the fact that there are seemingly only
blue-and-white shards. limited archaeological discoveries of materials from this
• Early Ming pieces from the Yongle to Xuande reign period. Indeed this does seem to cast doubt on the nature of
(1403–35) totalled 292 (23.34%). During this period, 290 Zheng He’s navigations and the true extent of trade during
items (99.32%) were Longquan wares and 2 (0.68%) were this period. However, Longquan wares unearthed from
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Jingdezhen wares, mostly dating from the Yongle to many sites related to Zheng He and this period have
Tianshun reign period (1403–64). previously been dated to the Yuan period or even earlier to
• One hundred (7.99%) of the total number of items were the Southern Song. Therefore, after studying and
dated to the mid-Ming (Chenghua to Zhengde reign, comparing these wares with kiln site finds in China and
1465–1521). During this period, 4 pieces (4%) were other Longquan wares, these finds unearthed in Africa and
Longquan wares, 90 (90%) were from Jingdezhen, of even from other regions of the Indian Ocean rim can be
which most were blue-and-white, and 6 (6%) were re-dated as early Ming products. If we distinguish the Yuan
Guangdong wares. and early Ming Longquan wares correctly, and apply
• There were 351 pieces (28.06%) of the total number of statistical analysis to them, we come to the conclusion that
items that could be dated to the late Ming (Jiajing, the early Ming was in fact an extended part of the peak of
Longqing, Wanli and Tianqi reigns, 1522–1627). During Chinese ceramic exports that had developed since the Yuan
this period, 345 pieces (98.29%) were from Jingdezhen dynasty.
and 6 pieces (1.71%) were Guangdong wares (all shards of
a storage jar). The official export of Longquan ware during the early
Ming
The statistics surrounding the Chinese ceramics from the The excavation of the Fengdongyan kiln in 2006 confirmed
Gedi Ruins, especially the figures from the late Yuan and that this was the production site of official Longquan wares
early Ming period, show that the quantity of exported from the early Ming period, as recorded in historical
Longquan wares was much larger than that of Jingdezhen literature. The excavation results improved our
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wares at this time. The issue of resolving the problem of the understanding of these official wares that acted as a form of

Plate 28.8 Large official Longquan ware
bowl, Hongwu period, 1368–98, unearthed
from Fengdongyan kiln site, Dayao,
Longquan. Height 16.4cm; diameter 40cm

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