Page 98 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

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

Figure 143. Bowl, foot ring small, base flat, incised fern scroll Figure 144. Six-spouted nipple motif kendi, possibly Central
band between two incised lines around shoulder, Vietnam, height 18.2 cm, from The Musi River,
maximum diameter 17.8 cm, Oc Eo culture, Batu Ampar site. Catalogue No. K2334.
C4–C6, from the Musi River, Pusri site. Catalogue
No. K1754.

A crudely potted grey stem bowl from the Musi could have been produced in the Philippines which were
(Figure 139) appears to have taken elements of Kalanay for more general storage purposes. And that these were
style stem bowls from the Philippines, Central Vietnam transported to Palembang during the early metal age as
and Samui Island, Thailand, as illustrated in Yamagata trade items.
and Matsumura (2017, Figure 19.6). Its open worked The occurrence of early-to mid-Metal Age Philippine
decorative pattern of triangles alternating with three pottery in the Musi was perhaps not that unexpected given
holes outlined the points of an inverted triangle with recent reports by Aude Favereau that Sa Huynh/Kalanay
simple incised lines forming inverted triangles on the imported ware was found in a number of coastal ports on
pedestal and lower body (separated by a row of incised the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and which was dated
crosses) and beneath the everted upper rim. It may have from the 5th to 2nd century BC. Further, earthenware
been produced near Palembang prior to the 8th century. pottery found in the Buni cultural sites near Bekasi and
The cone shaped stove with open worked triangles and Karawang, West Java, which was dated about 200–500, was
red slipped trimmings from the Musi (K2477) was also influenced by both the Sa-Huynh Kalanay and Bau-Malay
influenced by Kalanay type pottery. It was similar to types (Soegondho 2003).
other stoves made in the classical and modern era from
Palembang and Lampung, South Sumatra. Funan
Two small (5.1 & 6.5 cm high) red slipped terracotta Pottery from the Funan polity has been the source of
heads with finely sculpted facial features, but broken much recent study, particularly at the sites of Angkor
from their supports, were found in the Musi (Figure Borei, Oc Eo and other lower Mekong Delta sites in both
140). These were originally thought to be examples of south Vietnam and Cambodia. This pottery, which was
Majapahit period East Javanese figurines, but their more dated from 400 BC to 600 AD, was very varied and was
finely sculpted faces and more thinly drawn nose, eyes classified by Malleret (1960) into 67 types. Much of it,
and mouth, plus the fact that they have very thick necks according to Bong (2016), was relatively similar in form,
and backwards sloping heads, which indicated that they shape and decoration to similarly dated pottery from
were attached to a vessel, perhaps a lid, suggesting another Laos and Thailand and the Batujaya site in Java. Early
origin. The early metal age anthropomorphic pottery pottery from the prime site of Angkor Borei was varied
from Ayub Cave, Maitum, Saranggani Province, Midanao, and included globular vessels, jars, bowls small cylindrical
Philippines, came readily to mind! Similar heads were containers anvils, stove fragments, architectural forms and
attached to lids of jars used for secondary burials in the industrial ceramics used for making tools. The Angkor
Philippines. However, those burial jars were much larger Borei pottery was grouped by Stark (2000) into three
and could be as high as 70 cm. But they did contain jarlets time periods, which were continuous from 400 BC to
for storage of smaller skeletal remains, such as teeth. In 600 AD. The first period, from 400 BC to 100 BC, were
one case ‘a small fragment of anthropomorphic design earthenware, some cord-marked, which served a culinary
with portions of mouth, chin and neck was also found purpose; they were also present throughout the entire
inside the big jar’. A second large jar contained two jarlets occupational sequence. This earlier period pottery was
and ‘a lid fragment with a breast nipple and a broken followed between 100 BC to 200–300 AD by fine orange
fragment of ears and arms’. While another contained wares. These were characterised by their thin walls, orange
‘a small vessel fragment of a head with the features of a to buff colour, a fine paste with occasional red and grey
mouth and chin’ (Dizon 2003, Page 64). It is possible, flecks, and cord marking around base of vessels. There
then, that smaller anthropomorphic jarlets or vessels were a small number of forms. The most abundant ‘orange’

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