Page 38 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Chapter 3. Ceramic Trade and the Musi Rive

socio-economic and cultural system, with indigenous institutions of the Funan entities. The fractured state
writing system and monumental architecture. It also of Chenla was attacked by pirates from Java, Sumatra,
participated in international trade and became the and the Malay Peninsula. Such that by the beginning
transit centre for trade from Arabia, India and China of the 9th century, it had apparently become a vassal of
(Stark 2004, 2005). the Javanese Sailendra dynasty. The ruler (Jayavarman
Goddio (2002) and Miksic (2005) refer to the II, 802–850) of the small Khmer state to the north of
discovery at Oc Eo of Roman coins, Hellenistic intaglios, the Mekong Delta liberated the Khmer people from
Chinese brass, Indian jewellery and pottery (Tan 2005, Javanese suzerainty and began the unification of the
Lee et al. 2005). Miksic (2005) discussed how this large Khmer nation.
and apparently rich kingdom could have flourished over
several hundred years without obvious natural resources. The Khmer (9th century to modern)
He concluded that Oc Eo was a significant entrepôt Despite the long tradition of pottery in Cambodia
between the Mediterranean, India, Southeast Asia and there is no documented export of their wares to other
China in the 2nd century. But according to Glover countries, including Sumatra. Wares imported to the
(2005), such trade was not sufficient to support both Philippines in the 10th and 11th centuries and attributed
the size of the Funan population and its monumental to Khmer, are now considered to be of Chinese origin
religious structures. (Rooney 2010).
Kwa Chong Guan (2003) compared the Funan and Khmer people were inventive in the field of ceramics
Pre-Angkorian Vishnu statuary found at Phnom Da and employing mass production techniques around the
other locations in south-eastern Cambodia. And the end of the 6th century before stone wares were made.
recent discoveries of mitred Vishnus in many different Ceramics of this period were sometimes decorated with
styles distributed from southern Thailand, the Sumatran slip or paint but this practice was abandoned after the
island of Bangka and throughout the Mekong Delta, 9th century, when they began to glaze their pottery.
some of which may well be earlier than the ‘classic’ pieces The thin glazes from kilns in Phnom Kulen, which may
of sculpture from around Angkor Borei. Manguin and date back to the 9th century, vary from creamy white
Augustijanto (2011) report the discovery of another to light green. The earliest glazed shards in Cambodia
Indonesian mitred Vishnu statue at Cibuaya, some 20 were green glazed ceramics dated in association with
kilometres from the Batujaya site near Jakarta. Glover temples built in 875–900 at Rolous. Such glazes reached
(2005) considered that all these mitred Vishnus support a peak in the 11th century when they became rarer.
the idea that there were numerous small competing Brown glazed wares began to be produced in the 11th
polities in the Mekong Delta region, linked by networks century at Buriram and other sites until 1150 when the
of trade and ritual practice, but none conforming to the Angkor Wat temple was built. Evidence for ceramic
classic notion of a paramount state, as understood by the production after the 13th century is scant.
Chinese visitors of the 3rd century BC. The discovery of
the Mitred Vishnu on Bangka Island and Batujaya close The Dvravarati (5th to 11th century)
to the probable KoYing and Kantoli polity settlements Dvaravati was the first Mon kingdom established in what
of Karangagung and Air Sugihan, at the mouth of the is now Thailand. It was situated in the lower Chao Phraya
Musi River, and near Jakarta is not unexpected as Funan River Basin and extended westward to the Tenasserim
artefacts have recently been excavated at these sites. Yoma Mountains and southward to the Isthmus of
Funan was a rich and technically advanced seafaring Kra. Glover (2010) considered Dvaravati referred
kingdom with the means to participate in trade on a more to an ‘art-historical’ style as characterized by
large scale. A 3rd century source describes their ships as Indrawooth (1985, 2004). It marked a period of cultural
two hundred feet long and able to carry seven hundred growth, social complexity and incipient urbanization
men and extensive cargo (Nancy Tingley of the Asia and emergence of more advanced technologies and
Society). By the 3rd century, Funan had consolidated industries. Glover (2010) would push back by at least
all of the trading marts in the Malay Archipelago such 200 years the generally accepted beginning date for
that its influence ranged from the Indian Ocean to the Dvaravati of 600. At least for many elements of non-art
South China Sea (Wheatly 1964, Hall 1992). Internal and structures traditionally associated with Dvaravati
dynastic strife resulted in the collapse of Funan during especially the ceramics as described by Indrawooth
the early-6th century. (1985). Further, he concluded that many coastal or
riverine urban polities throughout South East Asia,
Chenla (7th to early-9th century) which incorporated elements of Indic civilization,
By the end of the 7th century the Khmer kingdom of appeared between the 3rd and 6th centuries.
Chenla, had reduced Funan to a vassal state. Chenla Little is known about the administration of Dvaravati,
also later subjugated central and upper Laos, annexed although it had early commercial and cultural contact
portions of the Mekong Delta, and brought what with India and most actively disseminated Indian
are now western Cambodia and southern Thailand culture (Indrawooth 1999, 2004). It may have been a
under their direct control. However, Chenla generally loose gathering of chiefdoms rather than a centralised
preserved the earlier political, social, and religious state. It was dominated by neighbour states on three

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