Page 147 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Ceramics from the Musi River 5

Province, it probably came from kilns other than those state (along with considerable commercial advantages) to
of Shanglinhu and Wenzhou. the Javanese Majapahit Kingdom (Dellios and Ferguson
Song and Yuan Dynasty (11th to 14th century) ceramics 2015). Towards the end of the 14th century, Palembang
in the Musi represented many of the classic ware and kilns was effectively ruled by pirates and at the beginning of
(Jun, Longquan, Cizhou, Jizhou, Yue, Chien, Qingbai, the 15th century by Chinese traders.
Guan, Tongan, Putian, Cizao). Although there was some Ming and Qing Dynasty (14th–20th century)
Northern Song ware (960–1126) recorded in the Musi, it porcelain was abundant in the Musi, although none
was restricted to some possible grey celadon Yue ware made from the reign of the earliest Hongwu and Yongle
during that period and a single under-glaze iron decorated emperors (1368 to 1424) was seen by us. Seven blue and
bowl from the Xicun kiln. No examples of the highly white bowls were collected from the remainder of the
prized northern Song celadon wares were seen. Nor was early-Ming period during the reigns of the Zhengtong
ware from kilns that principally supplied ceramics to the to Chenghua emperors (1425 to 1487). A further five
Chinese imperial court. The general absence of Northern bowls could only be attributed to the broader early-
Song ceramics in the Musi may in part be the result of Ming to Mid-Ming period. A much larger number of
disturbances to Sriwijaya trade prior to and subsequent to blue and white bowls and plates were collected from
the sacking of Palembang (and Malayu, Tumasik, Pannai the middle-Ming period, during the reigns of Hongzhi,
and Kedah) by the Chola Indian navy in 1025. These Zhengde, and Jiajing emperors (1488–1566). During the
attacks caused confusion among Sriwijayan vassal states late-Ming period (1568–1644), a large number of blue
and were said to have resulted in the political capital of and white bowls, plates, lidded boxes, jarlets and kendis
Sriwijaya being moved from Palembang to nearby Jambi was seen. During the early-and middle-Ming period most
(or even to Satingpra in the Thai Peninsula). At the same blue and white porcelain from the Musi was probably
time, the Northern Song Dynasty was constantly attacked sourced from private or folk (minyao) kilns, which
by semi-nomadic tribes from the steppes which resulted operated in the neighbourhood of Jingdezhen kilns.
in large numbers of Chinese traders settling in Pasai, During the late-Ming, especially in the Wanli period, and
Perlak and Kota Cina in northern Sumatra, as well as the the Qing Kangxi period, porcelain was probably from
trading entrepôts in the Malay Peninsula. According to Jingdezhen kilns, During the late-Ming and transition
Munoz (2006), these newly established expatriate Chinese to the Qing Dynasty, the most common porcelain was
chose to trade directly with local rulers and bypass both from the Zhangzhou prefecture in Guangdong Province,
Palembang and Jambi. which was commonly called ‘Swatow ware’ in Indonesia.
Much of the Southern Song and Yuan pottery found Examples of ‘Swatow ware’ from the Musi showed the
in the Musi was produced by southern Chinese kilns typical lack of attention to the base of plates and bowls
in Guangdong and Fujian Provinces. During the Yuan which characterises this ware, such as kiln grit adhered
Dynasty, some Muhammadin blue under-glazed ware to the foot ring, some pieces were also frequently thickly
from the Jingdezhen kilns, in Jiangxi Province, and some potted. However, many plates and bowls had beautifully
beautifully incised decorated high-quality celadon bowls and freely painted under-glaze patterns, albeit sometimes
and plates from the Longquan kilns in Zhejiang Province, in a dull grey-blue colour. The Qing blue and white
were found in the Musi. However, such high-quality ware porcelain from the 18th and 19th century was often
appeared much less abundant than was found at the from the Fujian Dehua kilns, as exemplified by pottery
Javanese sites during the Yuan Dynasty (such as Tuban Bay salvaged from the Tek Sing wreck.
and Borobudur). More commonly, Song–Yuan celadon It appeared that a reasonably steady supply of Chinese
ware from the Musi was from lesser kilns, including blue and white and other monochrome and polychrome
Putian in Fujian Province. The apparent reduction in glazed porcelains were imported into Palembang from
the amount of high-quality ceramics in the Musi from the second half of the early-Ming period (1425–1487)
government-supervised kilns during the Yuan Dynasty, and through the entire middle Ming period (1488–1566),
compared to that which flowed into Java, may be merely late-Ming period (1489–1644) and Qing period after the
an artefact of the ceramics we were shown. On the other Kangxi emperor (1572–1912). This obviously heavy trade
hand, it may have reflected the greater status and pull in Chinese porcelain in Palembang during the Middle
of the Majapahit Kingdom to attract high-quality wares, Ming period occurred against a background of edicts by
than was the case in Palembang. Certainly, an often cited earlier emperors that stifled Chinese export of porcelain,
endpoint for the Kindom of Sriwijaya was 1288 when it and which were kept in place until reversed in 1573.
was absorbed by its East Javanese rival, Singosari and then Maintenance of trade in Chinese porcelain to Palembang
shortly afterwards in 1293 by the Majapahit Kingdom. throughout the Middle Ming period and later would have
Thus Javanese were in control of Palembang just several been enabled and controlled by Chinese merchants who
years after establishment of the Yuan Dynasty. Evidence for were known to have smuggled blue and white porcelain
the decline in the power of Sriwijaya at Palembang began in defiance of Chinese government regulations. This
much earlier though, even at the start of the 13th century speaks to the power of Chinese traders in Palembang, a
when it had to coerce ships to enter the Musi (Manguin city that they increasingly controlled.
2009-2010). In 1380 shortly after the end of the Yuan During the late-Ming Dynasty, Chinese ceramics were
period, Sriwijaya lost its special status as a Chinese vassal exported freely around the globe, especially after 1573.

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