Page 129 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Ceramics from the Musi River

that were brought to the capital each year. Later, in 724, respectively), and a simple small circular stove with a grated
a Sumatran prince from Scriviya (Sriwijaya) sent many platform above a separate firebox (Figure 227). This was
rare gifts, which included two dwarfs, to the Chinese derived from Chinese forms and was possibly made in West
capital Chang’an for the “Son of Heaven”. However, we Java (Latinis and Stark 2003, Figure 4 a).
note that musicians and servantsduring the earlier Sui Very coarse pottery found in the Musi River near
Dynasty wore a similar headdress to the tall cloth ‘Muffin Palembang may also have been made at Karanganyar. These
Cap’ on K1978 and that such Caps were also commonly include crude bowls with spiked carinations with tall foot
worn by men during the European Renaissance between stands (K2192, K2580), the latter is fitted with a lid found in a
the 14th and 17th centuries. different site; plates (K1509, K2388); Jarlet (K1774); moated
Several seated male figures with arms meeting centre bowl (K2370), lids (K1556, K2580) and a small human figure
stomach and with a heavy chest ornament were seen from the in a boat (K1545).
Musi, but only one was collected (Figure 220). It is possibly a Other pottery, possibly from Thailand, included crude
deity and a votive object. It was similar to small statues found plumb-bobs in the shape of an elephant and a snail (K2483,
at the Bumi Ayu temple complex on the Lematang River site, K2485), an earthenware jar (Figure 228), pot (Figure 229)
Musi River upper watershed. and general purpose bowl (Figure 230). This jar is an unusual
A torso from the Musi (Figure 221) was apparently part of a design which is still in rather common use as a water jug. It
small standing Buddhist deity (Bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvra?), is made in two parts by turning on a post with the potter
It had ‘cloth’ attached to rosette shoulder clasps, so was walking backwards anti-clockwise, then the pieces luted
probably robed. It was possibly dated from the 10th century together (Dr Don Hein, pers. comm.). He also stated that
or earlier. the bowl is still commonly produced in northern Thailand,
Another standing woman figurine from the Musi was where it is first made as a cylinder, then inverted on the
crudely moulded; she appeared to be holding an animal to potter’s lap and carefully (gently) beaten with a paddle (with
her chest (Figure 222). It has some similarities to the figure of a mushroom-shaped wooden anvil held inside) to form the
a Huhhot woman from the Xianbei tribe in Mongolia. Such rounded bottom. He has also seen this general type of ware
funerary figurines were common from burial tombs across recovered from burial sites in the north of Thailand.
northern China during the Six Dynasties, but particularly A set of five hard-fired clay tiles from the Musi (Figure
so during the post-Jin period in north-eastern China in the 231) were decorated with impressed swastika and connecting
area controlled by the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi. They linear lines. It is unlikely that they were made locally; they
were moulded apparently in specialist production sites (Dien possibly were imported from Java for the floor of a Buddhist
2007, Figure 6.36). There was no trace of the white slip or temple during the Majapahit period, C14–C15.
painted colour that decorated Six Dynasties tomb figurines. Site information was recorded for 280 unglazed pottery
A further standing male figurine from the Musi (Figure items, including those of unknown origin and date. The
223) with arms folded over his chest appeared quickly made, relative proportions of these items at sites, listed in descending
such that it bore the imprint of the potter’s finger between order, was Sungai Rebo (39%), Pusri (28%), Boom Baru
its legs. It had an oval face and receding hairline and may (23%) Batu Ampar (8%) and Sungai Guci, Sungai Bunut,
also represent a Chinese person. PT Sharp and Sungai Sekanak (all less than 1%). Clearly
An unusual standing male figure missing its arms and unglazed pottery was more focused on the group of Sungai
head from the Musi (Figure 224) appears to be of a bare- Rebo sites, which was on the Komering River, than other
legged warrior dressed in a protective ‘leather’ vest, shoulder sites, although in total they were relatively more abundant in
epaulettes, short trousers and a broad waist belt. This vest those sites on the main Musi River fairway opposite ancient
had a central incised outline of an eight-pointed star. It has ‘East’ Palembang (Boom Baru, Batu Ampar and Pusri).
some residual white and pale brown paint or slip. This is discussed in Chapter 7, Summary and Conclusions.
Other broken heads from the Musi included one that
appeared to be a Malayu man which was probably part of a
puppet (K1310). And another with what appeared to be a
simple cloth headdress (K2274).

Other earthenware pottery
edwards McKinnon (2003, Page 171) states that at
Karanganyar at the mouth of the Musi River large coarsely
made vessels and tungku flat platforms of baked clay with
upturned corners used as fireplaces to support cooking
pots have been recovered in large quantities. These are
also commonly found in the Musi River at Palembang
(Figure 225) and are somewhat similar to those made
by the Samal of the southern Philippines.
Also found were more elegant footed tungku, referred
to as anglo tapak gaja (Figure 226), made in south Sumatra
and elsewhere (Latinis and Stark 2003, Figure 8.4 d & c,

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