Page 87 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Ceramics from the Musi River

Figure 117. Bowl, iron under-glaze decoration of cakra swirls
in well, feather pattern in cavetto and a darker
broad band above with sgraffito sloping lines, outer
body with same feather pattern, diameter 13.5 cm,
Central Thailand, Sukhothai kilns, C14–C15, from
the Musi River, Boom Baru site. Catalogue K2445.

of a seated human holding a jar (Figure 113); a man riding
Figure 115. Figurine, man on war elephant, front legs, ear, a horse (Figure 114), including K940; a man supporting a
box, most of rider and base reconstructed height jar, which functions as an incense stick holders (K1796); and
18 cm, Central Thailand, Si Satchanalai kilns, animal forms including a war elephant (Figure 115) and a
C14–mid-C16, from the Musi River, Pusri site.
Catalogue No. K2258 group of chickens (K1646). Interestingly, architectural and
sculptural ceramics known to be produced at Si Satchanalai
for the local market were not recorded. The war elephant is
particularly interesting because Glover (1993) reports that
they are rarely found outside Thailand.
A glazed kendi from the Musi (Figure 116) was probably
produced in Central or Southern Thailand. It had very
similar shape and decoration, especially the sculptured lotus
leaves around the body, to several unglazed kendis that were
thought to originate in Peninsular Thailand. The spout of
this kendi may have been repaired prior to purchase.
While most of the wares from Si Satchanalai were glazed,
at Ban Ko Noi the production focused on unglazed domestic
earthenware. The most difficult Central Thai wares to
identify to kiln site are the unglazed Khmer like stoneware
basins and burial sized jars from Si Satchanalai, Sukhothai,
Phitsanulok and Singburi. However, unglazed Si Satchanalai
kendis and jars, while commonly found in the Philippines,
were not exported to Indonesia (Brown 1989).

Sukhothai kilns
The range of Sukhothai pottery is less varied than that from
Si Satchanalai and was mainly under-glazed iron painted
ware. Sukhothai glazed wares are probably the easiest South
East Asian wares to identify. Their body is coarse and grainy
Figure 116. Kendi, pedestal foot with deeply recessed base, and required solid potting and a thick layer of slip. The body
spout possibly repaired, height 18 cm, probably is normally speckled with tiny white, and occasionally black
Central or Southern Thailand, C12–C14, from the spots of impurities. Creamy-white slip applied to almost all
Musi River. Catalogue No. K995. Sukhothai ware is usually clearly visible (Brown 1989). In
the Musi, they included simply decorated bowls (K1425,
in the Musi only one complete with lid (Figure 112) and the K1472, K2516); a group of bowls decorated with under-glazed
base of two others (K1511, K2439) were collected. Figurines ‘solar bursts’ characteristic of Sukhothai, including, K1235,
and zoomorphic forms were also fairly common in the K1272, K2445 (Figure 117); and a group characteristically
Musi River. These, which were probably produced at Ban decorated with under-glaze iron vegetative patterns and
Pra Yang, may have been toys, talisman, incense burners or sometimes with somewhat abstract crabs, including bowls
water dropper. These included a water dropper in the form K1056, K1143 and a Potiche, K1387 (Figure 118 & Figure

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