The
Story of
Earthenware
Pottery
During
ancient times when the Chinese empire controlled the trade routes of
Southeast Asia, large Earthenware jars were used to store trade
goods (smaller Porcelain, spices, beads, etc.). They were also
used to store the food and water
supplies of the men sailing the ships. So attractive and durable were the vessels that they also
served as trade goods themselves.
The
result over time was that Earthenware jars were dispersed across
Southeast Asia with a variety of ornamental
motifs. These include forms such as Buddhist and Taoist
symbols that were otherwise alien to Southeast Asia. There were
also
floral
designs of plants species which are not native to much of Southeast Asia.
The
importance of the jars was documented by Magellan in 1521. His
chronicles describe how he was presented with "three Porcelain jars
covered with leaves and filled with rice wine" by an important
tribal chief in Philippines. Numerous jars of wine were brought to
a reception of the rajah of Cebu (middle part of Philippines), one of the most powerful rulers of the
region at the time, and presented as gifts.
Decorated
Earthenware jars were so revered by local people that medicine men would
(unfortunately) remove samplings of the Ceramics to be consumed with
medicinal potions or for religious ceremonies. It is for this
reason that ancient jars are commonly seen with rims that have
been partly grinded off.
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Stoneware
Jarlet from Shipwreck
CERAMIC ARTIFACT
#ew-007008
DESCRIPTION:
The
small container jar has shell encrustations left on and is in coarse
condition because it spent many centuries under water in a shipwreck.
ORIGIN:
The
artifact was produced in China in one of the many coastal trading ports.
It was
brought to Southeast Asia as a trade-good probably by an ancient Chinese trading
ship that later sunk into the sea. After many centuries,
the piece was rediscovered by deep-sea excavators of the shipwreck and subsequently acquired by The Chalre Collection through a registered dealer.
AGE:
Produced
in the Ming Dynasty period (1368 - 1644).
MEASUREMENTS:
Height: 6.5cm
(2.5in.)
Width or
Depth: 9.5cm (3.75in.)
REFERENCES:
This
artifact is very close or identical in shape and decoration to some
demonstrated in the following publication: A
Thousand Years of Stoneware Jars.
Other similar or identical examples can be found in publications dealing
specifically with ancient shipwrecks excavations. Good examples
are Lost
At Sea: The Lena Shoal Junk and The
Pearl Road: Tales of Treasure Ships.
Similar
and/or identical
items are also on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London
(UK), the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (USA), the National Museum
of Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), the National Museum of the Philippines
(Manila) and
other museums
throughout the world with diverse collections of Asian ceramics.
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