Page 96 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

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

in the centre. It appeared to have been coated with a
brown slip or getah (tree sap). A third kendi (Figure
135), like the previous two mentioned, also had a broad
upper rim and short spout and had faint incised comb
marks on the body. It differed in having thin decorative
ridging on the shoulder, a shorter neck and no foot
ring. It may be from West Java but also had similarities
to Lampung ware.
The Sembiran site in Bali was first excavated in
1987–89 (Ardika 1991). New excavations in Sembiran
and nearby Pacung in 2012 dated these sites as late-
200 BC to 500 AD (Calo et al. 2015). These Bali sites
are linked to Batujaya in northwest Java partly on the
basis of the Indian Roulette ware that they share. The
latter authors suggest that both Sembiran and Pacung
also produced copies of south Indian coarse dishes
as well as local Indian style dishes. As was the case at
sites in Peninsula Thailand (Khao Sam Kaeo and Phu
Khao Thong) and northwest Java (Batujaya). Some
Han style paddle impressed pottery was also found
at Sembiran.
A distinctive long necked carinated bottle from the
Musi (Figure 136) shared some similarities with one from
Sembiran illustrated in Ardika (1991 Figure 5.6, SBN VI
34). It differed in that it had a carination around the
base of the rim, whereas the Sembiran example had that
carination reduced to two lugs.
The Leang Buidane site in North Sulawesi was a
cave with an early-Metal Age burial jar assemblage
with numerous human skeletons. It was not used for
habitation. The Plawangan site contained ancient
Neolithic settlements to the earlier part of the Metal Age
(1500 BC to 400 AD. Plawangan contained pottery shards
(Soegondho 2003, Figure 6.3) that were decorated with
incised short lines, waves and crosses as well as impressed
circles that were somewhat similar to those found on a
kendi from the Musi (Figure 137). The Gilimanuk site
had similar characteristics to Plawangan with a limited Figure 138. Stem Bowls, heights 14.4 (above) & 22 cms (below),
set of earthenware pots (Soegondho 1995) Philippine Kalanay style (400 BC to 200 AD ?), from
the Musi River, Boom Baru (above) & Batu Ampar
Philippines Kelanay sites. Catalogue No. K2488 (below); the other was
Favereau and Bellina (in press) conducted a fascinating not collected; it was photographed by Putri Rizki.
study of the Sa-Huynh Kalanay pottery from the
westernmost known region of its distribution on the to the Bau-Malay ‘Tradition’. The others were Chinese
Kra Isthmus, in the Thai–Malay Peninsula. They found Han Dynasty period related containers, and ‘Fine-wares’
it widely distributed in small quantities over their study related to other sites in the Indian Ocean Basin. If the
sites, especially near the coast, and that most of it was Thai-Paddled shards are the same as Solheim’s Bau-Malay
made locally. It first appeared there as a quite distinct ‘Tradition’ it would indicate that these two ‘Traditions’
new style around the 5th century BC and continued to were contemporary long before the suggested date of its
be made until the 1st century BC. They also found small origins of the Bau-Malay in Palawan in the early part of
quantities of exogenous Sa-Huynh Kalanay type pottery the 1st millennium.
within port settlements which had cosmopolitan denizens, A beautiful polished red slipped stem basin, 14.4 cm
and dated from the 4th century BC to the 2nd century high and with a bowl diameter of 16.1 cm, with an open-
BC. This exogenous Sa-Huynh style pottery was less varied, worked decorative pattern was found in the Musi from the
mainly displaying strips of paired diagonal lines, and ancient port site of Boom Baru. A second example from
repeated lenticular flat areas on the carina alternating with the Batu Ampar site was photographed but not collected.
impressed notches. They also identified three additional It was larger and more of a stem bowl with a simple incised
ceramic traditions which were exogenous, including circular pattern in its well (Figure 138). Dr Aude Feverau
one that they termed ‘Thai-Paddled’ that was similar (pers. comm.) considered the decoration of the piece

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