Page 49 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Ceramics from the Musi River

in Palembang and was heading for central or east Java
when it sank, was helpful in identifying Yue ware from
the Musi. This was especially so because Koh (2017c)
considered that the Cirebon cargo was representative of
the different forms of Yue ware exported from Zhejiang
Province during these Dynasties.
Yue-type wares were often found at Indonesian
archaeological sites, including temples in Central Java,
Karawang in northwest Java, Palembang in south Sumatra,
Barus in northeast Sumatra and Natuna Island in the South
China Sea. Adhyatman (1987) considered bowls and ewers Figure 8. Foliated bowl, height 7.7 cm, Zhejiang Province, Yue
found in Indonesia with recessed base or a ring foot and ware, probably Shanglinhu kilns, C9–C10, from the
round spur marks belonged to the Tang period, while Musi River, Sungai Rebo site. Catalogue No. K1520.
those from the Five Dynasties and Northern Song had oval
spur marks. Also the four lobes often found decorating
bowls or the body of ewers were from the Tang Dynasty,
while later pieces had five lobes. However, Koh (2017c)
illustrates bases of mediocre quality Yue bowls from the
Cirebon wreck which had recessed bases and semi-oval,
irregular shaped and striped spur marks. This suggested
the shape of spur marks may not be a good identifier of
whether a piece was from the Tang or later Dynasties.
Most of the Yue ware found in the Musi dated from
Late-Tang Dynasty, Five Dynasties and early-Northern
Song Dynasty (mid-9th to late-11th century). Much of this
was produced at the Shanglinhu and closely associated
kilns. However, a considerable quantity was of a light grey
colour and was termed ‘grey ware’ by Gompertz (1980). He
considered this ‘grey ware’ also came from Zhejiang, but Figure 9. Spittoon, height 10.9 cm, Zhejiang Province, probably
probably from a different kiln complex than Shanglinhu, Shanglinhu kilns, Yue ware, C9–C11, from the Musi
but as yet undiscovered. River, Boom Baru/Pusri site. Catalogue No. K1320.
Yue ware from the Musi appeared to be broadly
representative of the different forms produced in Zhejiang
and ranged in quality from lower class to fine wares,
based on the criteria of Koh (2017c). Namely, lower
quality wares, such as some bowls and plates, were largely
undecorated and had a ring of scars left by clay lumps
or stripes on the interior and unglazed foot, indicating
they were serially stacked during firing in kilns. Higher
quality pieces had a completely glazed foot with the clay
scars on the outer rim of the base only, indicating they
were fired individually in a separate kiln saggar. Higher
quality Late-Tang, Five Dynasties and early-North Song
Yue wares were characterised by the wide usage of finely
incised decoration referred to by the Japanese as “cat
scratch’ decoration (Adhyatman 1987).
One bowl from the Musi had a distinctive bi-disc foot
(K1185). Such bowls are known from 794 and from a
tomb dateable to 840. They are found in archaeological
sites alongside Yue bowls with an ordinary ring-shaped
foot and also with later models featuring a flat, glazed
base and no separate foot, which was supported in the
kiln on a ring of spurs (Krahl 2010). Adhyatman (1987, Figure 10. Ewer, height 25.3 cm, Five Dynasties to Northern
Figure 1) shows a fragment of a white bowl with a bi-disc Song, Zhejiang Province, probably Shanglinhu kilns,
base excavated at Bukit Seguntang, Palembang, which Yue ware, C9–C11, from the Musi River, Pusri site.
she dates to the 9th century. Catalogue No. K769.
Examples in the Musi of Yue ware from the Shanglinhu
kilns from the Tang to the early-Northern Song included
some lower class foliated bowls with unglazed bases and

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