Page 103 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Ceramics from the Musi River

Figure 157. Kendi, base with small slightly concave flattened
area, degraded polished surface, height 20.5 cm,
East Java, C14–C15, from the Musi River. Catalogue
No. K883.

Figure 155. Kundika, possibly apical knob missing, height 20.7
cm, Majapahit period, C14–C15, from the Musi
River. Catalogue No. K788.

Figure 158. Kendi, base flat, red slip, height 14.9 cm, Majapahit
period, C14–C15, from the Musi River, Sungai Rebo
site. Catalogue K2072.

A considerable quantity of Majapahit style terracotta
was recovered from the Musi. This included a larger
8.5 cm high house (Figure 149) and a smaller 5 cm
high granary or shed (Figure 150). The house was very
similar to one from the Majapahit capital of Trowulan
illustrated in Soegondho 1995, photo 81). Galestin (in
Figure 156. Roof tile decorated with two people riding a
mythical animal, height 24.1 cm, from the Musi Soemantri 2003) found that all wooden buildings depicted
River, Sungai Rebo site. Catalogue No. 2421. on Majapahit temple reliefs were open structures on a
high base and that the dominant element was the pillars
Palembang, and perhaps for a further century, that there supporting the roof. Despite this observation, Soemantri
was a considerable trade in Majapahit-style earthenware noted that most miniature houses built by Majapahit
pottery between Java and Palembang. This pottery had a potters actually had walls and suggests that this was the
unique form with characteristics which have been described case because they were easier to fire than open structures.
and illustrated in a number of references (Soemantri 1997 Further, these enclosed houses were usually built on
& 2003, Soedarmadji 2012, Soegondho 1995). hill slopes or rocks and were perhaps used by ascetics.

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