Page 92 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Chapter 5. Unglazed, Slipped & Painted Wares in the Musi River

carved paddles were used to impart a simple rectangular
or ribbed pattern in relief. Decoration was by incising,
impressing and painting (always with incising). Patterns
were usually arranged as: paired diagonals and borders;
curvilinear scrolls and triangles; rectangular scrolls and
triangles; commonly emphasised punctuations or dashes
separated by incised lines; crenulations impressed with
a shell edge; impressed or carved ‘scallop’ designs on
carinations or rims; and carved cut-outs in ring stands.
The relationship between the Sa-Huynh and Kalanay
pottery types continues to be clarified, in large part because
Solheim (2002) and his later papers did not adequately
categorise these types through illustration and definition
of the full range of variation in their decorations and form
(Balbaligo 2015). More recently, however, Yamagata and
Matsumura (2017) concluded, from study of the wealth
of pottery recovered from relatively recently excavated
Sa-Hunyh archaeological sites, that these two pottery types
are in fact unrelated. And that many of their supposed
similar motifs, as identified by Solheim (2002), are not
held in common. In particular, Sa-Huynh pottery did
not have motifs such as paired diagonals and borders, Figure 128. Pot, square matrix of paddle marks, height 13.5 cm.
Probably local ware, from the Musi River, Sungai
rectangular scrolls and triangles or impressed or carved Rebo site. Catalogue No. K1593.
‘scallop’ designs. Also Kalanay pottery had no cord-mark
impressions. Further, they postulated from very recent
studies at the Hoa Diem site in Central Vietnam, that the
Kalanay-type probably post-dated that of the Sa-Huynh type.
Sa-Huynh/Kalanay type pottery is now known from
sites in Indonesia and throughout Vietnam, and elsewhere
in the Philippines, peninsular Thailand, Borneo and
Cambodia. Despite the uncertain typological relationship
between the Sa-Huynh and Kalanay pottery this familiar
grouping is still used to identify stylistic links between
these various geographic sites (Favereau and Bellina, in
press). Solheim (1966) documented and illustrated that
Sa-Huynh–Kalanay related pottery is widely scattered
throughout Indonesia including the archaeological sites
of Galumpang, Sulawesi; Buni, Java, Gilamanuk and Bali.
And in present day pottery from Makassar, South Sulawesi;
Sumatra (Minangkabau District of the Batang Hari River
Basin, and Gajoland); Lombok; Kai Island; and Geelvink
Bay, West Papua.

The Bau-Malay pottery tradition
Solheim (1990) summarises his earlier work on these
two pottery ‘traditions’ (Solheim 1959, 1961a&b, 1964, Figure 129. Pot, round bottom, square matrix of paddle marks
on lower body, height 13.3 cm, probably Central
1966 etc) and describes the Bau-Malay pottery as easily Thailand, possibly C12–C16, from the Musi River.
distinguished from that of Sa-Huynh/Kalanay pottery by Catalogue No. K2675.
having considerably less variety of form and decoration.
Bau-Malay commonly is impressed on the body with a Bau–Malay pottery is known from the western
carved paddle which is used in the paddle and anvil method Indonesian islands, southern Philippines, western
when forming or finishing of a vessel. Often two different Borneo; and the Malay Peninsula. Some specialised forms
carved paddles were used on the one vessel allowing a more developed, such as water jars with a flat bottom, low
complicated pattern on the shoulder than on the body rounded body and a high narrow neck. Water jars with two
and base. Decorations also included simple or moderately or more spouts known as kendis, which had a Bau-Malay
complex stamped impressed repeated patterns around a form, could have developed in Indonesia out of the rare
vessel. In some areas later decorations included vertical double spouted vessels found at the Nia Cave complex,
ridges or channels usually accompanied by impressed Sarawak (Solheim 1990: Plates 3 & 4).These water jars
stamp patterns. are still made at Kayu Agung on the Komering River in

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