Page 75 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Ceramics from the Musi River

Qing Dynasty glazed ceramics from the Musi were also
predominately found at the Pusri site. A total of 43 per
cent of the 56 items with recorded site information were
from Pusri. Then in order of abundance, Boom Baru
(29%), Sungai Rebo (14%), Batu Ampar (7%), Sungai
Guci (5%), and Pulau Salanomo (<2%).

NORTH VIETNAM
North Vietnam produced sophisticated ceramics which
were influenced by those produced in China, but which
in many ways remained distinct from the Chinese forms.
Vietnamese society was greatly influenced by the Chinese
since the Han Dynasty, which controlled North Vietnam.
North Vietnam ceramics are frequently referred to as
‘Annamese’, Annam being the term used by the Tang
army for North Vietnam. The Chinese occupied North
Vietnam from 111 BC to 980 AD. ‘Tonkin Wares’ have
also been used to describe North Vietnam ceramics. Han Figure 74. Lidded pot K2526. Pot, watery whitish glaze with
two splashes of green glaze on body, height 18.6 cm,
shaped ceramics were produced by the North Vietnamese possibly Han-Viet ware. C1–C4, from the Musi River,
perhaps until the 6th century, which was long after the Batu Ampang site. Catalogue No. K2526.
Han Dynasty ended in China.
Han-Viet ceramics were made from the fine smooth clay
of the Red River. They were thinner walled and more highly
fired than their Chinese equivalents. Instead of the thick
green lead-based glazes of Han funerary objects, those made
in North Vietnam had a thin whitish glaze. Many Han–Viet
vessels also had “one or more glassy-green ash drips… Some
of these drips seem to be precisely placed” (Stephenson and
Guy 1997: 28). An ovoid cooking pot with slightly domed
lid and long rod handle with hallowed flared distal end
collected in the Musi (Figure 74) may be a Han-Viet pot,
although this is unlikely! It is thickly potted from smooth
pale greyish clay, probably on a slow wheel. However, it did
not have an external whitish glaze. It was glazed inside with
a brown spotted green colour with bluish white splashes and
has two apparent ash drips on its shoulder.
By the 9th century, the style and production of low-
fired pots followed those of the Tang Dynasty. However,
after the expulsion of the Chinese and the founding
of Vietnam in the 11th century, Vietnamese ceramics
changed radically (Guy 1997). Vietnamese ceramics were
at their most original in the nationalistic dynasties of the
Ly (1009–1225) and Tran Dynasties (1225–1400) when
Vietnam creativity was combined with that from India, Figure 75. Lime pot, handle in form of gecko, glaze partially
degraded, height 8.5 cm, North Vietnam, C14–C16,
Khmer, Cham and of course China. There was a long from the Musi River, Pusri site. Catalogue No. K1817.
shared ceramic tradition with these other civilizations,
especially the Cham and Khmer (Stephenson and Guy A wider variety of ceramic types from the period
1997). Ly ceramics were rarely exported to Indonesia between the15th to 17th century were from the Musi,
although the Kustiarsih collection has one bowl collected many of which were decorated with Buddhist motifs.
from Kalimantan, but none from Palembang. Some had celadon glazes which ranged from straw yellow
Twelve bowls (K967, K1813–14, K1971, K1958, K1995, to olive, with a transparent pale glassy-green the most
K2000, K2003, K2086, K2297, K2365, K1373) from the common. Pale glazes were also popular. However, those
Tran Dynasty were collected from the Musi. Some of less visible parts of objects, such as the foot, were often
these were beautifully potted bowls with sgraffito incised crudely potted. They also did not try to disguise firing
through an ivory or straw coloured glaze to a darkish spur marks in the well of vessels, although from the 14th
slip; or the inner walls was impressed with ‘turtle’ scales; century they frequently used an unglazed stacking ring in
others had ribbed walls with incised cloud pattern in the the well (K1997). From the late-13th century, the base of
cavetto while the outer wall was glazed with spots reflective most Vietnam pottery was given a matte brown iron oxide
of some Jizhou ware. wash. While this wash assists identify Vietnamese pottery,

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