Page 111 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Ceramics from the Musi River

Figure 179. Earthenware jar, collected at Old Banten Serang,
height 48 cm, with incised-lace lace decoration,
probably C19. Catalogue No. K2672.

Figure 178. Earthenware garden vessel, collected at Old Banten
Serang, height 100 cm, with incised-lace lace
decoration, probably C19. Catalogue No. K2671.
Peninsula (Piyakul 2014, 2015, Figures 1 &2). The later
ones may have been produced at Nakhon Si Thammarat
which was the principle Ayutthara coast port in southern
Thailand. The variety of body colour in these coarser squat
kendis from the Musi River should not surprise. This was
because Stardardt (2012) reported that even at Kok Moh
a variety of ceramic wares included those that had white,
grey, buff, red, and in a single instance a grey body with
black slip. Further, their pouring spouts are not dissimilar
to the range of kendi spout types from Pa-O (Srisuchat
2003, Figure 17.1). Finally, Piyakul (2014, 2015) stated
that many ancient cities developed in the rich alluvial
plains around Songkhla Lake region near the Satingpra Figure 180. Ewer, lace incised decoration on shoulder, three
coloured terra sigillata, height c. 30 cm, from the
Peninsula during the period of Javanese and then Sriwijayan Musi River, Batu Ampar site Photo by R.A. Rurib
influence (8th to 13th century). At that time huge canals Ferry
were dug to connect some of these communities to the
Lake, especially the Bang Kaeo canal in the Khao Chai Son Songhkla Lake may have influenced trade in Dvaravati style
District. These communities were connected by transport pottery with Palembang as suggested by some Dvaravati
on this Lake to the maritime trading routes to the Gulf of style bottle kendis in the Musi (Figure 174).
Thailand and South China Sea. And considerable evidence,
especially ceramic, exists of cultural relationships between Incised-lace decorated wares
the Satingpra Sriwijayan communities and those of the A small group of unique ewers recovered from the Musi
Dvaravati (Piyakul 2014, 2015). Thus there was an accessible were characterised by an incised lace shoulder decoration.
route for such kendis to be traded to Palembang. Perhaps This decoration consists of a mantle of impressed curly
also such contact with the Dvaravati culture around the lines which drapes over the shoulder with from six to 11
drooped points marked by small knobs which are slightly
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