Page 67 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Ceramics from the Musi River

General comment on Guangdong and Fujian Province
ceramics
During the Northern Song period many kilns were
established along the Guangdong coastline. Most notable
were the Xicun, Chaozhou and Nanhai kilns, which
together produced mainly celadon, Qingbai, and brown
and green lead glazed wares.
Evidence from shipwrecks (e.g., the Intan and Turian)
in the Malay Archipelago indicated that a great deal of
Chinese food stuff was imported to the Region during
the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Between the 10th and 12th
centuries these food stuffs were sent from Guangzhou
Figure 54. Bowl, under-glaze iron brown painted leaves, in large thickly potted storage jars manufactured in
diameter 22.5 cm, Northern Song, Guangdong
Province, Xicun Kiln. C10–C12, from the Musi River, Guangdong (which probably carried pickled vegetables,
Boom Baru site. Catalogue No. K2567. preserved fish, and shrimp paste, as well as fine ceramics)
and from southern Fujian in smaller thinly potted Fujian
jars (probably for wines and sauces). The Fujian jars were
mostly made in the Cizao kilns, Jinjiang County, Quanzhou
City. They assumed more importance in the maritime
trade as storage jars towards the later part of the 12th
century (Heng 2003). ‘Mercury bottles’ (for storage of
Mercury used to separate gold from quartz) have been
found at a number of sites in Indonesia, including Bukit
Seguntang (Palembang), Tuban, Trowulun, Tanjung
Pinang, Kota Cina, and Karawang (Adyatman and Ridho
1984). These bottles were manufactured at the Cizao kilns
and are considered by Heng (2009) to have also been
used for wine storage. There are numerous examples of
storage jars from the Musi River from Guangdong and
from southern Fujian (see Chapter on Storage Vessels).
An example of the range of late-Northern Song Dynasty
(late-C11–early-C12) export ceramics produced mainly
in Guangdong Province was provided by the cargo of
the Pulau Buaya wreck, which sank some distance south
of Singapore Island in the Lingga Archipelago. One
shallow large cream glazed plate (K1540) had a Chinese
Figure 55. Jarlet, finely potted with bosses around shoulder, body inscription written on the unglazed base. This was similar to
with long vertical incised lines to just above base,
possibly South China, Fujian Province, C14–C16, several found on the Pulau Buaya wreck, which according
from the Musi River, Sungai Rebo site. Catalogue to Ridho and Edwards McKinnon (1998) were probably
No. K1490. merchant ‘tally’ mark or some proof of ownership. Bowls
with thickened lips made in Guangdong Province have
mix of Chinese and local cobalt, suggesting it was been found in the Riau, Belitung and Pulau Buaya wrecks
produced sometime after the mid-14th century. The and in Sarawak (Koh 2017c and Lam 1985, Figure 5).
over-glaze was Qingbai which, as stated above, was These bowls, which vary in colour from greyish-green to
uncommon after the Yuan Dynasty. This suggests pale blue, were produced in many kilns in China (e.g.,
that these three figurines were probably produced Xicun and Chaozhou). Several examples of such bowls
during the late-Yuan to early-Ming Dynasty, probably were recovered from the Musi River (K1499). Xicun
at the Jingdezhen kilns. A standing horse (K2696) ware was exported to island South East Asia but not as
was probably produced in the same kiln. commonly as other Chinese ceramics. It has, for example,
Other pieces from the Musi were a stem bowl (K912), been only found on two shipwrecks to date, one in Riau
bowl (K1854) and jar which were decorated with grey- and the other in waters near Belitung Island, although
blue flower, lotus leaves, and leafy scroll or key fret reasonably common at the Barus archaeological site,
beneath Qingbai glaze (Figure 52). A fine meiping North Sumatra. Only one example of Xicun ware, a
vase (Figure 53) decorated with carp and water weed bowl with broad painted under-glaze leaves (Figure 54)
was probably Yuan. And the base of a vase or jar with was recorded from the Musi, although another, almost
a ‘Muhammadin Blue’ flower, petal and leafy pattern identical bowl was seen.
beneath Qingbai glaze (K1807), which was late-Yuan Three small jarlets (K1490, K1492, K1721) decorated
or early-Ming. with bosses around the shoulder or neck were from the
Musi (Figure 55). These jarlets ranged in height from 6

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