Page 115 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Ceramics from the Musi River

Thailand prior to that century. As noted above, potters
from the Songkhla Lake region had ample opportunity
to be familiar with the Javanese decorative style and
to copy it. This is because they were under Javanese
influence from the 8th to 9th century and then under
Sriwijaya influence from the 10th to 13th century. In
summary, we speculate that these fine lace decorated
ewers were commissioned from the potters from the
east coast of Peninsula Thailand by the Sriwijayans for
export to Palembang sometime between the 11th and
13th century.
Thai earthenware and stoneware pottery from the
Musi was relatively most abundant at Sungai Rebo which
had 35% of the 99 unglazed Thai items with recorded
site information. This was followed by Pusri (24%), Boom
Baru (22%), Batu Ampar (14%) and Sungai Guci, PT
Sharp and Sekanak sites (all <2%).
Vajra wares
Characteristics
Sixty one pieces from the Musi were of a form, decoration
and glaze that differed from other ceramics recovered
from this River. Most were unglazed, whether as a patterned
red or reddish brown slip on a fine white body, thin fly-
ash dark olive or brown glaze stain, or as a well rendered
thick celadon glaze on a hard-fired well levigated dark
grey fabric. Foot rings when present, were simple, small
and with a flat base. The ware was, however, most easily Figure 192. Kendi, fine incised lines divide body into five
characterised by an incised pattern of leaves (usually segments and describe poorly defined flowers and
juxtaposed at their bases) with from three to seven basal foliage, height 13.8 cm, probably South China,
‘venation’ lines such as in the sgraffito decoration in C11–C13, from the Musi River, Batu Ampar site.
Catalogue No. K2591.
Figure 181. This pattern was suggested by Professor Miksic
to possibly be a form of the Vajra symbol of Vajrayana
Buddhism, which we use to tag this Ware. A limited range
of ‘Vajra ware’ forms were recorded. They included small
to medium sized jars, kendis, kundikas, stem cups, bottles,
and a single small bowl.
To this ‘vajra’ design were added circles (Figure 182),
and an undulating ribbon with impressed dots (Figure
183).
A single Vajra ware bowl was collected (Figure 184). It
had a broad band of Vajra leaf patterned sgraffito through
a brownish slip around the upper part of its outer wall.
In addition to the forms mentioned above, stem cups
were common. These were usually made of a fine paste
with sgraffito decoration (Figure 185).
Two elegant kendi, both with a tall columnar lower
body and small foot ring, and unique spouts, were
burnished black (Figure 186 & Figure 187); one had
a ‘vajra’ pattern, the other was undecorated, both had
unique elongate spouts.
One pot (Figure 188) lacked the basic Vajra pattern
but instead was decorated with a sgraffito cloud, dots and
chevron pattern through a red-brown slip. Figure 193. Kendi, terracotta body impressed with paddle rope
Several other undecorated pieces are tentatively placed marks over body and collar of radiating striations on
shoulder, height 14 cm, probably China, unknown
with ‘Vajra ware’, because of their form, fabric colour and date, from the Musi River. Catalogue No. K855.
texture, foot structure and similar surface texture. These
included several damaged kundika-like kendis, comprising
K713, K1014, K1336, K1812, K2665 (Figure 189 & Figure

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