Page 110 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Chapter 5. Unglazed, Slipped & Painted Wares in the Musi River

Figure 175. Ewer, shoulder decorated with nine pointed
mantle of impressed curly lines, patterned with Figure 176. Ewer, cylindrical body with incised-lace decoration
both chocolate brown, white and pale red slip, foot on shoulder and base of spout, height 23.5 cm,
rim chipped and spout missing, height 27.2 cm, probably east coast Thailand Peninsula, C11–C13,
C11–C13, probably east coast Thailand Peninsula, from the Musi River, Boom Baru site. Catalogue
C11–C13, from the Musi River, Boom Baru site. No. K1339.
Catalogue No. K2523.
important centre of international and regional ceramic
trade. This was particularly so between 1350 and 1767,
when the Ayutthaya Kingdom controlled the important
southern port towns of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla
(Satingpra), Chaiya, Thalang and Pattani from its capital
on the Chao Phraya River Basin.
Earthenware kendis made in southern Thailand have
been found in a number of ships wrecked in Indonesian
waters during the period of the Ayutthaya Kingdom.
Technically these kendis could have been made at a
number of locations in addition to Satingpra and the
Songkhla Lake region, especially Ranong on the west
coast and Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat. This is
because suitable clays for earthenware ceramic production
werefound at these sites (Bordeepong 2012).
There is a wide range of other coarser squat kendis
from the Musi that are generally characterised by having
flattened globose bodies; wide filling necks with a variety
of rim forms (K1501, K2507, K2521); and bases with a Figure 177. Ewer, flattened ovoid body with incised-lace
decoration on shoulder and base of spout, height
simple foot ring (K1414) or a pedestal foot (K1266). 14.3 cm, probably east coast Thailand Peninsula,
These are also probably from the east coast of the Thai C11–C13, from the Musi River, Batu Ampar site.
Peninsula (Figure 173) Catalogue No. K2662.
The earlier ones are probably from the general area of
the Satingpra Peninsula because they have some similarities
to other fine ware from the region. For example, most are
well potted from well levigated clay, have shape affinities
with other 11th to 12th centuries kendis produced at the
Pa-O kilns at Singha Nakhon, Songkhla on the Satingpra

93