Page 84 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Chapter 4. Glazed Ceramics in the Musi River

Satchanalai wares, usually with incised or carved designs
under the glaze (Brown 1989). Such Thai celadon in the
Musi included plates and bowls on which the glaze had
an attractive tendency to pool in the well and form heavy
drips on the outer surfaces to the foot. Examples are: large
plates/ bowls (Figure 96), including K836 and K1847; small
bowls (Figure 97), including K2508; stem bowls (Figure 98);
jars (Figure 99), jarlets with and without handles (Figure
100), including K885, K1822, K2356); bottles (Figure 101),
including K769, K888 and K1912; and vases (K1792).
Figurines of a sitting mother clutching either a child or
bird were the most commonly produced, probably at the
Ban Pa Yang kilns which seems to have been the centre for
the production of such figurines (Guy 1993). As noted by
others (Brown 1989, Guy 1993, Richards 1995) these are
rarely found with the head attached leading to the belief
that they are probably used for ritual purposes. Although
Richards states that such ‘ceramic dolls’ are found only in
Thailand, three were collected in the Musi, including one
clutching a bird. A number of others were seen and all but
one (Figure 102) was missing its head.
White wares
The most common monochrome white glazed wares from the
Musi were solid potiches both without lugs (K1313) and with
lugs (K2596), jarlets (K2018, K2447), and a ewer (K2469).
Figure 103. Bottle, height 13 cm, Central Thailand, Si
Satchanalai kilns, C14–mid-C16, from the Musi
Brown wares River, Boom Baru site. Catalogue No. K2495.
Common monochrome brown glazed ware from the Musi
were two handled bottles which ranged from a squat shape
(Figure 103) to elongate (K887, K891, K918, K1284, small
bottles without handles were not uncommon (Figure 104).
Two handled bottles and jarlets were exported until the
end of the 16th century and possibly into the 17th century
as they have been found together with Wanli Chinese blue
and white ware in the cargo of the Ko Kradat ship wreck.
They are variously thought to have a funerary purpose as
well as a general container for oils, condiments, medicines
or cosmetics (Tingley 1993).

Under-glazed decorated wares
Wares decorated with painted under-glaze decorations based
on brown white and clear glazes were produced at both Ban
Ko Noi and Ban Pa Yang kilns in Si Satchanalai. These were
common in the Musi and included shallow bowls frequently
with fish and flower design (Figure 105 & Figure 106). These
two plates and a third one (K1358) were decorated with an
under-glaze iron ‘orchid tree’ flower with a central spiral
and a stylized flame which Richards (1995) considered was
an archaic yin-yang symbol. He considered that these plates
were likely to have been among the first wares exported
from Si Satchanalai; potiches, with lids missing (Figure 107
& Figure 108); a variety of decorated jars and jarlets (Figure
109 & Figure 110); including K1718, K1924, K2282; water
dropper in the shape of a bird (Figure 111), bottles (K1618,
K2472) and kendis (uncommon and none collected), as
well as small lidded boxes which were made mainly for the Figure 104. Jarlet, height 7 cm, Central Thailand, Si Satchanalai
kilns, C15–C17, from the Musi River, Pusri site.
Indonesian market where they were often found associated Catalogue No. K1802.
with burial sites. Although these lidded boxes were common
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