Southeast Asia Sea Silk Yuan Blue and white Porcelain
By Captain Lim Keow Wah(Singapore)
Yuan Blue and White Porcelain
Yuan blue and white porcelain the full name is "white ground underglaze blue and white porcelain", referred to as blue and white. The blue and white porcelain produced in the Yuan Dynasty is called Yuan blue and white or Qinghua. The existence of Yuan Qinghua, in the early years of the Ming Dynasty, Cao Zhao (曹昭)described Yuan Qinghua in "Gegu Yaolun" ( 《格古要论》"Ancient Rao vessels(饶器). In the Yuan Dynasty, there were Shufu(枢府) characters in the small foot prints, high-tech newly fired , plain ones lack of lustre and those with blue and white and five-colour ( Wucai )were very vulgar." Jingdezhen belongs to the jurisdiction of Raozhou, so Jingdezhen porcelain is also called Raoware(饶器). In addition to Cao Zhao's narration, there is no record in the documents of the Yuan Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty, and there is a lack of clear physical evidence, and the world's knowledge and understanding of Yuan Qinghua is blank, not only the general public, the collecting world, the academic community, and even the porcelain experts who have dealt with porcelain all their lives know very little about it.
In the 30s of the 20th century, a pair of blue and white cloud dragon pattern elephant ear vases exported out of China, and at that time, no one recognized Yuan blue and white in China and regarded this pair of porcelain as fakes. This pair of temple offerings specially made for folk believers, the vase neck has an inscription of the 11th year of Yuan Zhizheng(元至正) and it has finally been preserved by the British David Foundation to this day. American scholar John A. Pope according to the research of a pair of blue and white cloud dragon elephant ear vases with an inscription in the 11th year of Zhizheng (1351) in the collection of the Great David Foundation in the United Kingdom, it was finally determined for the first time that it was a blue and white ware of the Yuan Dynasty and was sensational and accepted by the antique world.
Singapore is a centre of trade and shipping in Southeast Asia, and many of the artefacts found in the surrounding countries over the decades have been brought to this small island. Born and raised in the local area, the author also enjoys collecting all kinds of cultural relics and conducting large-scale antique auctions, and is a sea-going captain and pays attention to and researches the Maritime Silk Road. Actively observe a large number of official gifts and trade blue and white porcelain of the Yuan Maritime Silk Road that appeared in Southeast Asia, and have been collecting and researching in this area for a long time.
In the 1970s and 1980s, in antique shops in Singapore, I could occasionally see a small number of small blue and white round jars with lugs, small Ci dragon(螭龙) square jars (Philippine type) or Yuhuchun vases(玉壶春瓶). In the past 20 years, in addition to a small number of orthodox archaeological excavations or shipwreck salvage, the local antique market has seen a large number of large, medium and small blue and white ware from Southeast Asia that have not been salvaged by archaeological shipwrecks salvage. This is probably thanks to more modern detectors, accurate satellite positioning, better and widespread diving gears. It should be stated that these Yuan Qinghua porcelains that were exported to Southeast Asia in ancient times are different from that pass down from generation to generation or excavations imported from China to Southeast Asia in modern times, and there are some types or paintings that have never been seen, and some of the high-quality Yuan Sea Silk blue and white ware official gifts or trade porcelains appeared in Southeast Asia It is worth studying. Because no one has studied this kind of legacy artifacts in depth before, the author would like to introduce their origins, history, characteristics and contrasts in Southeast Asia in a more systematic way. Add the author's views and sharing. There must be inaccuracies, and I hope for your feedback. It also cites a number of scholars, especially Dr. Jiang Jianxin (honorary director of the Jingdezhen Institute of Ceramic Archaeology), to study and publish the archaeological research on the origin of these blue and white porcelains.
The Origin and Research of Sea Silk Blue & White
"Daoyi Zhilue" 《岛夷志略》was written by the Yuan Dynasty navigator Wang Dayuan(汪大渊 ) in the ninth year of Emperor Yuan Shun(元顺帝) (1349~1350), when the city of Jinjiang County县晋江 (now Licheng District, Quanzhou City（今泉州市鲤城区）) of the county chronicles, recorded Wang Dayuan in 1330 and 1337 two times across the ocean to experience the geography, territory, and products of more than 200 places in the South and the West Oceans is an important Chinese and foreign transportation history documents. Explain that the main export trade goods to the foreign countries are: copper, iron, silk fabrics and cloth, jar, urn, celadon, blue and white porcelain.
The Last Glory: Luomaqiao (落马桥)Types Yuan Blue & White (1）
"Wujiang County Chronicles" 《吴江县志》recorded: "Shen Wansanxiu (沈万三)has a house, in Wujiang 29 capital Zhouzhuang, (周庄) rich in the country, according to legend by foreign transportation. Wu Han(吴晗), an expert in Ming history, used this as a basis to argue that "the reason why Shen Wansan's family in Suzhou became rich was because of oversea trade. " Judging from the Ming people's notes "Yunjiaoguan Chronicles"(云蕉馆纪谈), Shen Wansan was actually only responsible for the wholesale of Jingdezhen porcelain for export in Jiujiang "Bao City"(九江“宝市), and was not directly engaged in overseas trade. According to Chen Gaohua's (陈高华)research, the Chinese maritime merchants engaged in overseas trade at the end of the Yuan Dynasty were another group of people, and the main figures were Chen Baosheng(陈宝生), Sun Tianfu(孙天富), Zhu Daoshan(朱道山) and other Quanzhou maritime merchants who took refuge under Zhang Shicheng(张士诚). The main port of overseas trade in the Yuan Dynasty was located in Quanzhou, Fujian, and then transported to the capital of the Yuan Dynasty (present-day Beijing) via the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. As Ouyang Xuan's (欧阳玄)"Tonghui River Political Achievement Tablet"《通惠河政绩碑记》 said, "From the southwest of Kunlun (昆仑) (the southernmost outer island of Vietnam)), those who travel by the sea, after bypassing Nanzhao(南诏) , go through Jiaozhi(,交趾) Japo(阇婆), Chenla 真腊)((Cambodia), Champa (ancient Vietnam), the country of Baiyue百粤, the southeast through Ryukyu and Japan, and east to Sanhan(三韩)."
In order to escape the war of Yisi Baxi(亦思巴奚), Chen Baosheng, Sun Tianfu, Zhu Daoshan and other Quanzhou maritime merchants defected to Zhang Shicheng and engaged in overseas trade in Loujiang Port( 娄江港)for ten years. Chen Baosheng, a famous person in Jiangnan (江南)at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, fond of poetry and painting. According to Wang Ting(王颋)'s research, his father was originally from Haiyan Prefecture(海盐州), Jiaxing Road, during Emperor Shun顺帝’s time joined the Quanzhou Zhuang family as a son-in-law in the early years. In addition, Chen Baosheng is also a maritime merchant engaged in overseas trade and wealth and righteousness. Chen Baosheng and Sun Tianfu engaged in the geographical scope of overseas trade, "from Gaogouli(高句骊) in the east, through Luohu (罗斛), to Japo(阇婆) in the west". Japo is present-day Java, Indonesia , in the Yuan Dynasty was the main entrepot of the Maritime Ceramics Road. The Museum of Local Governance in the coastal city of India on the east coast of India has a blue and white Sangumaolu(三顾茅庐)meiping( 梅瓶)with lid, which is the same as the blue and white meiping with lid in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA. The Yuan blue and white seen in Thailand and India may have been trafficked to Java by Chinese maritime merchants such as Chen Baosheng, and then transhipped to the east coast of India by Muslim maritime merchants.
Fig. 1 Jingdezhen Luomaqiao(落马桥) kiln site unearthed Yuan blue and white
On the other hand, the Luomaqiao-type Yuan blue and white Fig. 1 is exactly the same as the pattern of the second group of Yuan blue and white patterns of the Yuan Dynasty shipwreck in the Xisha Islands, such as lotus petal pattern, flame pattern, banana leaf pattern, bunch lotus pattern and chrysanthemum pattern.
Li Yiping of Jingdezhen Ceramics Research Institute collected a fragment of a Yuan blue and white octagonal yuhuchun vase at the site of the end of the Yuan Dynasty in Luomaqiao, and this kind of Yuan blue and white octagonal yuhuchun vase shards were also found in the Yuan Dynasty shipwreck in the Xisha Islands, which is almost exactly the same as the Yuan blue and white octagonal yuhuchun vase in the Topkapi Palace in Turkey. The Yuan blue and white wine serving ladle chrysanthemum pattern unearthed at the kiln site of the late Yuan Dynasty kiln in Luomaqiao is also seen in the blue and white bowl of the Yuan Dynasty shipwreck in the Xisha Islands and the chrysanthemum blue and white bowl unearthed in Fustat, Egypt. According to the discovery site of these Luomaqiao-type, it is completely possible to restore a late Yuan Qinghua export route from Jingdezhen Luomaqiao, through Jiangsu Taicang Shipping Warehouse, Xisha Islands, Strait of Malacca, South India, and finally to the ancient port of Fustat in Egypt.
In the Yuan Dynasty, under the rule of the Mongolian Semu(色目)class of people culture, Yuan blue and white porcelain was strongly influenced by Islam and Lamaist art, with complex patterns and could not express figures. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, when the peasant uprising was surging, the painters of the Jingdezhen kiln factory broke through the barriers of Mongolian Semu(色目)class of people culture and introduced the Han culture and art with a history of thousands of years of civilization into the Yuan blue and white for the first time, thus creating a unique Luomaqiao-type Yuan blue and white porcelain. With the vigorous development of overseas trade at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Jiangxi Jingdezhen's Luomaqiao-type Yuan blue and white were exported to Southeast Asia, the east coast of India, and even the port of Fustat in Egypt.
Research on Yuan blue & white unearthed in Jingdezhen & related issues Jiang Jianxin(2)
Since 1984, he has participated in the clearing and excavation of the Ming and Qing imperial kiln sites in Zhushan (珠山)for many times. Another kiln of the Fuliang Porcelain Bureau(浮梁磁局) should be located in the area of the former site of the Zhushan Ming Imperial Kiln in the current city centre. In 1988, on the north side of the former site of the Ming Imperial Kiln (that is, outside the Fuan Gate(阜安门)of the old Imperial Factory), a number of Yuan Dynasty official kiln porcelain were found in a ditch about 1.5 meters deep on the side of the road in the middle section of the Fengjing Road(风景路). Luomaqiao kiln site in the early eighties of the last century, Jingdezhen archaeologists have carried out rescue excavations, unearthed a large number of relics of the Yuan Dynasty, there are blue and white porcelain, Luanbai(卵白egg white) glazed porcelain, under glaze copper red porcelain, blue and white porcelain and red and green colour porcelain, etc., among which the category of blue and white porcelain is the richest, in addition to the common bowl, plate, stem cup, there are also wine cup saucer, ear cups, Yi ladle(匜for serving to wine cups), cover boxes, bird cups, double ears jarlets, largemouth jars, animal head handle jars, double ears vase, long-necked bottles, meiping, yuhuchun vase, etc. The blue and white patterns seen are decorated with gardenias, chrysanthemums, peonies, plum blossoms, Lingzi(灵芝), grapes, banana leaves, dragons, deer, peacocks, fish and water weeds, character stories, etc.
In 2012-2013, the archaeological excavation of the Luomaqiao kiln site unearthed the Yuan blue and white porcelain, from the perspective of the soil layer, the age seems to be slightly earlier than the last time, the number and category are more abundant, more importantly, the unearthed Yuan blue and white porcelain in addition to the same blue and white porcelain unearthed last time, but also unearthed a large number of large Yuan blue and white porcelain fragments, which is of great significance to our comprehensive understanding of the firing situation of the Luomaqiao Yuan blue and white porcelain. To make a summary: 1. The first group of blue and white porcelain discovered this time is the same as the blue and white porcelain unearthed in the past
It is a blue and white porcelain of the Philippine type. The second group are all large, very rare large plates, large bowls and large jars, especially the bowls, plates, meiping vases of the blue and white five-clawed dragon, large jars with floral patterns, and flat rectangular flask with dragon patterns, these specimens are consistent with the blue and white porcelain of the "Zhizheng style "(至正型) fired by the Hutian kiln( 湖田窑), and this batch of porcelain unearthed in Luomaqiao should be one of the products of the imperial kiln. 2. Luomaqiao fired porcelain of the nature of official kilns, and at the same time fired a large number of slightly rough blue and white porcelain and egg white porcelain, which shows that the Porcelain Bureau may have supervised the manufacture of official ware in the private kiln at that time. 3. Regarding the specific age of Yuan Qinghua, it can be inferred from the information unearthed from Luomaqiao that the upper limit of firing will not be earlier than the third year of Zhizhi(至治) (1323 AD), which is the age of the Xinan( 新安)shipwreck. Moreover, the second group of blue and white porcelain plates and jars, as well as the large plates and jars unearthed in Zhushan, are of the same type, and they should all belong to the products of the official kiln.
(1) The last glory: Luomaqiao-type Yuan Qinghua Lin Meichun(林梅村 ) Oriental early http://collection.sina.com.cn/cqty/20121015/083088332.shtml
(2) Research on Yuan blue and white unearthed in Jingdezhen and related issues Jiang Jianxin https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/161209779
Yuan blue & white porcelain left over from the Maritime Silk Road in Southeast Asia
Shipping to Southeast Asia by sea during the Yuan Dynasty was already well developed. A number of fragments of Yuan blue and white have been found in Xisha(西沙) that can bear witness to the evidence of the export from China passing through the place. A lot of Yuan blue and white fragments were salvaged from the waters on the east side of the central part of Yongle Island in Xisha, including bowls, yuhuchun, stem cup, and small jars with ear lugs Fig. 2.
Fig.2 Blue and white fragments of the water in the waters of the Xisha Islands
According to Fig. 3. During the Yuan Dynasty, the Yuan blue and white objects that appeared in these different countries and this vast area of Southeast Asia are introduced and analysed, and some new information such as the discovery of more qualitative, qualitative and large-scale ship wreck out of water blue and white porcelain in recent years, some of which were not available before. Through the rich discovery and accumulation of Yuan Dynasty unearthed and shipwreck salvaged porcelain in the museums and personal collections of East Asian countries, we hope to present or introduce them to the public with the latest information and a more systematic manner. These artifacts, especially the shipwreck salvaged porcelains, are exposed to the erosion of seawater and other physical wear and tear of the glaze or light reflective strength, calcification and opacity, cobalt blue to greyish blue, due to the existence of different seabed environments such as in seawater, brackish water, fresh water, in urns protected by tea or other substances, buried in fine sea mud, buried in sea sand or on sea sand or reefs, coral epiphysis, the different degrees of seawater corrosion and physical wear and tear, black bubbles, tiny or fine corrosion pits from severe, mild to almost unaffected and ever-changing, For the shipwreck salvaged porcelains, It is also not advisable to use the same normal criteria to authenticate items from excavations or handed down from generation to generation, an important part is to be clear and have common sense, such as the experience of getting hands on hundreds or thousands of real objects to distinguish the existing shipwreck salvaged porcelains versus fake to determine the correctness and age of the authenticity, I hope that everyone's verification will put forward more or different views.
Fig. 3 The Yuan blue and white from the countries unearthed on the Maritime Silk Road in Southeast Asia
(the map comes from the "Special Collection of Blue and White Porcelain of the Yuan Dynasty")
Thailand
In Thailand, a Buddhist country in the Southeast Asia peninsula, Yuan blue and white porcelain are unearthed since 1965 from the royal palace ruins and Buddhist temples in Thailand, because these Yuan blue and white are unearthed as sacred objects, rarely displayed publicly, until recent years, there are nearly 10 pieces of exquisite Yuan blue and white porcelain, hidden in the museums and temple institutions in its territory, although they are not many, but part of the collection of the shape and ornamentation of the painting is the only collection of the world. In the ancient capital of Thailand, Sukhothai Ayutthaya, Mahatai Temple unearthed octagonal blue and white jar with a lid having bunch of lotus melon vines in the 8 panels Fig. 4. (Chantarakasem museum,), this Yuan blue and white peony and passion fruit flower pattern, lotus leaf lid with flaring mouth jar Fig. 5 (Ram Khamhaeng museum, but the author feels that the lid is not the original match, because the lotus leaf vein cover is usually matched with fish and water weed or lotus pond jar. This jar is about 39 cm high, flaring mouth, sloping shoulders, bulging belly, tight bottom shallow circular foot. There are two special ears handle on the shoulders that have never been seen before, and the jars of the general Yuan blue and white jars are mostly upright or straight, but the flare neck decorated with the miscellaneous religious treasure pattern is still difficult to see in the collection of other museums.
Fig. 4 Blue and white Jar. The ancient capital of Thailand, Sukhothai,
Ayutthaya, Mahathas Temple, Zhan Tarakash National Museum
Fig. 5 Yuan blue and white peony pattern flare lip lotus leaf lid jar, Sukhothai Temple,
Thailand, unearthed in the collection of Langam National Museum
Philippines
The Dao Yi Zhi Lue 《岛夷志略》"Chronicles of the Foreign Islands" records the three islands of Chinese trade with the Philippines (referring to the three ports located in the north and south of Manila Bay on the island of Luzon). The general consensus is that the shipwrecked piece in this area belongs to small utensils, such as bottles, plates, side handle ewer, kendi, small double gourd bottles, multi-sides bottles, and small square jars with double shoulder dragons. The type is mainly small utensils, the glaze is thick, due to the corrosion of seawater and the glaze of the salt-containing crystals is slightly opaque, the glaze reflection is bright or faded, the pigment colour is dull, the pattern is sloppy and simple, and the grass leaf pattern is the mainstay. This type of blue and white porcelain is also known as the "Filipino type" Fig. 6
Fig. 6 "Filipino type" small Yuan blue and white porcelain objects
The author's collection of a peony scroll three ruyi (如意)foot-shaped round Yuan blue and white ware from a shipwreck in the Philippine waters, front painted with scroll of peony in a ruyi panels. Flat top is unglazed with around protruding disk . The inner round bottom is also unglazed, but a considerable amount of carbon-black deposits have been accumulated. The shape of this object has not been seen before, and it is speculated that the protruding disk of this artifact may be used for the stand of the incense burner having a round foot Fig. 7.
Fig. 7. Shipwreck Blue & White Ruyi stand from Philippine waters .top 10.6 foot 10.1, height 7.3 cm
Collection by Lim Keow Wah
The National Museum of the Philippines has a 14th-century blue and white bowl external painted with compressed chrysanthemums scroll, and inner with phoenix and kirin patterns, and this bowl is also one of the most important national cultural treasures in the Philippines at present, from the "Pandanan Shipwreck"at the southern tip of Palawan. Built in the mid-15th century, the ship follows the traditional model of South China Sea shipbuilding, with the main cargo on board stored in the middle hold of the hull. The vessel underwent archaeological excavations in 1995, Fig. 8.
Fig.8 The 14th-century blue and white bowl of the National Museum of the Philippines
external compressed chrysanthemum scroll , inner with qilin and phoenix pattern
Another small medium-sized jar of blue and white dragon ears from a shipwreck in the Philippine seas, with spiral scroll on the side of the mouth, chrysanthemums scroll on the shoulder, double phoenixes & peony scroll on the body, and nine lotus petals on the feet. It's different from ordinary pieces; Although is a shipwreck piece, the glaze is fertile, rich and bright emerald blue Sumaliqing cobalt material plus the skilled and delicate painting, the abdomen and shoulder are pasted with two relief dragon ears, which is a high-skill work. The flat bottom is slightly concave and the binary clay of kaolin mixed with 1 to 3 mm of white porcelain stone can be seen very clearly. The light egg white glaze is covered with obvious black bubbles, corrosion pits and traces of age in Fig. 9
Fig.9 Yuan blue & white jarlet from shipwreck Philippine Sea, double dragon ears,
diameter 10.8, body 15.5, foot 8.5, height 13.8 cm, Collection by Lim Keow Wah
Indonesia
1 Sulawesi
It is one of the Maluku Spice Islands in Indonesia. Wen Laogu (文老古)is the Maluku Spice Islands mentioned by Yuan Wang Dayuan(汪大渊 ) in "Daoyi Zhiluo". Wen Laogu in the book: The people boil the sea water for salt, and take shahu ( 沙糊)(sago porridge 西米糊 ) for food. The clove is produced grom this place, and the whole mountain is covered with the clove trees, and the currencies of trade consist of silver, iron, water silk, silk cloth, Wulun Bajie Najian cloth(巫崙八節那澗布), local printed cloth, ivory , glass beads, celadon ware, and jar ware. Fig. 10 shows the main trade route from Zhangzhou( 漳州)in the Yuan Dynasty through Palawan and Luzon in the Philippines to the Maluku Spice Islands. Bantaeng (near the city of Makassar) is the southernmost point of Sulawesi.
According to a 2021 article by Singapore's "Southeast Asian Ceramics Association" on the State of Sulawesi Trade Porcelain. The late Roxanna Maude Brown (former director of the Museum of Southeast Asian Ceramics at Bangkok University) had been to Sulawesi in the early days to research on excavated porcelain. The article recounts that Sulawesi became a trading centre for Maluku spices during the Yuan Dynasty. Locals traded cloves, sandalwood, hawkbill turtle shell and red sandalwood for Chinese imported Yuan blue and white. In the old days, people on the island had the habit of burying porcelain with them, so a considerable number of Yuan blue and white ware were unearthed locally.
In the 1960s and 1970s, many of the cemeteries in Bantaeng were excavated by tomb robbers for the blue and white porcelain of the Yuan Dynasty, and more poaching began in 1966 with the arrival of Jakarta antique dealers. Rampant graveyard excavations peaked in the early 1970s, when they were at their largest 。At that time, the largest tomb robber leader's personal organization hired more than 60 subordinates to dig ancient tombs for him.
Fig.10 The bold line shows the main trade route from Zhangzhou to the Maluku
Spice Islands during the Yuan Dynasty, while the dotted lines are the other routes
A batch of Yuan blue and white fragments unearthed in 1993 from Bantaeng (near the city of Makassar) in South Sulawesi, with a total weight of 11 kgs of more than 1,000 pieces Fig. 11. Most of the blue and white materials are cobalt materials of Persia smalt, and a small number of them are locally produced cobalt blues. The outer foot wall of the bowl is oblique outward, and the Yubi(玉璧 round flat jade) base without glazer but a coat of decorative paste, and mostly with iron oxide red, and there is a nipple protrusion in the centre. An analysis of the overall number of these blue and white fragments is as follows (the left or front appears the most in number or times):
Shape: bowl, small teacup, beaded double-ear lugs small jarlet , jar with lotus leaf cover, round box with cover, Yi ladle(匜for serving to wine cups)，small ewer, octagonal Yuhuchun vase
Glaze: egg white glaze, blue and white, Yinqing (影青) engravement under glaze , Yinqing (影青)slip painting , ferrous oxide spots.
Pattern: bunch of lotus, flat chrysanthemum scroll, passion flower scroll, gardenia scroll, square lotus petals, double round-pointed lotus petals, ruyi, spiral scroll , single and double rectangular spirals pattern, banana leaves, ruyi flower, cover with lotus leaf veins, bronze coin with square hole, fish scales style sea waves, dragons,
Fig.11 Fragments of Yuan blue & white 1993 excavated from Bantaeng
(near Makassar), Sulawesi, Collection by Lim Keow Wah
The author has two intact Yuan blue and white pieces excavated from Bantaeng, South Sulawesi: (1) perforated outer walls of double ear lugs plum branches octagonal barrel-shaped vial Fig. 12. (2) stem cup , body dragon chasing fire pearl, inner mouth grass scroll, inner bottom fire pearl pattern, high stem protrusions engraved with four lines and five anti-slip grooves, hollow inner stem without glaze Fig. 13.
Fig. 12 from Bantaeng Yuan blue and white octagonal barrel-shaped vial,
high 10.2 cm, Collection by Lim Keow Wah
Fig. 13 from Bantaeng Dragon Yuan Blue and White stem cup,
rim 9.7 foot 3.3 high 8.9 cm Collection by Lim Keow Wah
Fig.14 Christie's auction in 2001 Yuan blue and white lotus plates from south Sulawesi diameter 28.3 cm
Collection of the late Indonesian Foreign Minister Adan Malik
2. East Java Trowulan
Shinhasari defeated the Melayu at Sumatra in 1290 and became the most powerful kingdom in the region. Kublai Khan, the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, sent emissaries demanding tribute. King Kertanegara refused and insulted the Yuan envoys in response. In 1293, Kublai Khan sent 1,000 ships to Java from Quanzhou, Fujian Province, where the main Yuan army anchored at Jiaolan Mountain( 交栏山)in present-day Pontianak, Indonesia. Cut down trees and build small boats to prepare for a costal attack on the capital by the sea. After that, they landed in Java and united with King Ketarayasa of Majapahit to attack the rebel general Jayakatwang of the Sinhasari kingdom and destroy the Shinhasari kingdom. King Ketarayasa of Majapahit then rebelled, repulsed the Yuan army, unified Java, and established the capital of Majapahit in 1293 at Trowulan (about 40 km southwest of Surabaya) in Java. Majapahit was an empire of 98 tributary states, stretching from Sumatra in the west to New Guinea in the east; These included present-day Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, southern Thailand, Timor-Leste, and southwestern Philippines (especially the Sulu Islands).
In the National University of Singapore Museum ,John. Dr. John N. Miksic reports on the porcelain found in 2010 at the archaeological site of Trowulan, In the National University of Singapore Museum, there are 6,000 fragments of Yuan blue and white unearthed from Trowulan, and if all the fragments are restored, they will be composed of: 32 large jars, 29 Meiping vases, 4 Yuhuchun vases, 46 large plates, 11 large bowls, 34 small bowls, and other small jars, bases and lids Fig. 15.
Fig. 15: Part of the blue and white fragments of the Yuan excavated in Trowulan
collected by the National University of Singapore Museum
A medium size lid jar from East Java, not far from the ancient capital of Majapahit, Tulungagung, Fig. 16. Cover with passion flower scroll top with lotus flower knob (this jar, the lid and mouth are different from the shape of the general lotus leaf-shaped lid jar), the body four-clawed dragon flys in the ruyi tadpole-shaped cloud , and the bottom a band of repeated wave crest, number of painting layers are relatively few . The lip incline obliquely inward and without glaze.The flat bottom, inner jar and inner lid, which are not glazed, but it can be seen that a layer of decorative slip is quite thick, and the makeup clay is dry and cracked. The external white glaze is a little milky, because the priming decorating clay cracks under the glaze, the glaze also show light yellow crackle lines, this crackle glaze phenomenon has also appeared in other Yuan blue and white ware with this kind of decorating clay. Sumaliqing is from the blue imported cobalt material, the colour is blackish blue.
Fig.16 From Tulungagung Yuan blue and white lid jar mouth 10.1,
body 24.4 foot 12.2 overall, height 26.7 cm, 2.67 kg,Collection by Lim Keow Wah
3 Palembang
Palembang was the capital of Sriwijaya in the 7th-14th centuries, and is a city located in the eastern part of Sumatra, Indonesia.
The old port during the Ming Dynasty is Palembang, Indonesia, the ancient name is Sriwijaya, and many Chinese immigrated here at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. Palembang is 65 km inside the mouth of the Sungai Musi River, and most of the people used to live in floating houses without pile on both sides of the river. Could shift boat like house easily to other places.
A Yuan blue and white meiping vase salvaged by divers in the Sungai Musi River in Palembang from 2013 to 2017 (3) Fig. 17, chrysanthemum scroll on the shoulder, body fish & water weed and single square spiral scroll, lower part with lotus petals.
Fig.17: From Palembang Musi River Yuan blue and white meiping vase 14.8 cm high Private collection
4 Ujung Batee Kapel Aceh
Located at the northwestern tip of the island of Sumatra. A very famous piece of Yuan blue and white cloud shoulders and double dragons chasing fire pearl in the collection of the Idemitsu Museum of Art in Japan, Fig.18 is from Aceh (4) This rectangular flat flask , with 4 small dragon ears sculpted on the shoulders, two phoenixes among the peony and chrysanthemum scroll on the upper body, the two dragons chasing fire pearl on the lower body. left and right sides with passion flower scroll. The painting is delicate and the colour is rich, which is rare in other museums. This type of rectangular flat flask also only appeared in the Yuan Dynasty. It is a classic work that belongs to the Yuan blue and white of larger size.
Fig.18 Yuan blue & white dragon and phoenix flat square flask length 28.5 width 9 height 38.9 cm,
Collection of Idemitsu Museum of Art, Japan
5. Natuna Islands
It is an island in the Riau Archipelago Province of Indonesia, located between the Malay Peninsula and the Borneo Island, which is the waterway that ancient Chinese sailing ships from China south to Java must pass through in the west. For small pieces are generally inserted into the beach with iron rod to probe the hard objects of porcelain after strong storms and waves. This piece from the Natuna Islands is a small jar of Yuan with mackerel in the shape of bamboo fisherman basket Fig 19, elephant trunk handle with ring, but lid missing, neck square spiral scroll, shoulder spiral scroll, body mackerel and trout swimming in water weed, Lower part rounded and pointed lotus petals .The flat bottom is slightly concave and unglazed, but you can see that the decorative slip is dry and cracked.
Fig. 19 From Natuna Yuan Blue & White fish basket-shaped jarlet mackerel and trout painting with elephant trunk handle mouth 5.6, belly 9.7 feet, 6.3 feet, height 9.7 cm, 336 grams Collection by Lim Keow Wah
(3) 2019 WA Museum Research Report: "Porcelain from Palembang, Indonesia, Musi River", Australian National Centre of Excellence for Maritime Archaeology, Department of
Maritime Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Museum, Authors: Kitchener (Darrell J) & Kustiarsih (Heny). Title: / Ceramics from the Musi River, Palembang, Indonesia: Source: From personal collection.
(4) Suma rah Adhyatman. "Ancient porcelain found in Indonesia", Indonesian Ceramics Association, 1981
Singapore
Singapore, formerly known as Temasek, was founded in 1299 and conquered in 1398, and the Royal Palace was built on Fort Canning Hill on the right side of the Singapore River, commonly known as the Royal Forbidden Hill. Wang Dayuan, the author of The Legend of Daoyi Zhilue" 《岛夷志略》 visited Temasek in 1330. Describe the two hills of Tamasek, intersecting like a dragon's tooth, with a waterway in between. There is little barren rice in the fields. The weather is hot, and there is a lot of rain in April and May. With tradition to plunder. The former chief dug into the ground and got the jade crown. With sighting new moon as the at the beginning of the month, the chief wore a crown and a cloak to receive congratulations, and now it is also passing from one to another. Men and women live in it as well as Chinese. Tie the conical bun, short cloth shirt, tie with green cloth. The local produce of low-grade Jiang Zhenxiang (降真香木Laka incense wood) and square shape tin ingot. The goods of trade are made of copper ingot, satin, printed cloth, Chu porcelain(处甆器), iron wok, etc. There is no fine product from the mountain, and there is no foreign goods in the tribute.
It is mentioned in many places in the "Daoyi Zhilue" that the porcelain sold to foreign countries is called Chuzhou porcelain,(处州瓷) Chu porcelain"(处瓷) , and "Qingchu porcelain(青处瓷Chu Celadon), it was governed by Chuzhou Fu(处州府) in the Ming Dynasty, which is called Longquan porcelain in the Ming Dynasty.
Jiang Jianyin's earliest date on the first firing of Yuan blue and white can be referred to: 1. A blue and white cloud dragon pattern jar was found in the Jintan cellar in Jiangsu, and a silver plate engraved with Arabic Hijri in January 714 (equivalent to 1336 AD) was unearthed in the same cellar; 2. Jiangxi Provincial Museum collection "Zhi Yuan Wuyin"( 至元戊寅1338) blue and white inscription four spirit pagoda ash urn with lid; 3. Xian Qujiang (曲江)excavated Zhang Hongyi (张弘毅) to the fifth year of the ZhiYuan( 至元五年) Yuan Dynasty (1339) tomb unearthed a blue and white wine cup serving ladle, 4, Yuan blue and white when fired in the middle and late Yuan Dynasty "Xin An shipwreck out of the water with ink written on wooden slip, on June 1, 1323, the third year of Zhizhi, and the shipwreck did not see the Yuan blue and white unearthed, so it is inferred that the first firing year of the Yuan blue and white will not be earlier than 1323, and the Yuan blue and white appeared after the third year of the Yuan Dynasty (1323), before 1336, which seems to be more reliable". It will take some time from the beginning of the firing year to the maturity or export period. It is also possible that when Wang Dayuan visited Temasek in 1330 and 1337, he did not mention the Yuan blue and white porcelain, but only the Longquan porcelain.
1. Fort Canning Hill
1984 by John. Dr. John N. Miksic conducted an excavation halfway up Fort Canning Hill (4) Fig.20, a considerable number of fragments of Yuan, Longquan, Qingbai porcelain and blue and white porcelain have been excavated from the soil layer of the Yuan Dynasty through scientific archaeology. Among them, the fragment of the compass bowl Fig. 21 has not been found elsewhere at the same time. The blue and white porcelain bowl fired by Jingdezhen kiln in the Yuan Dynasty has been cracked into many pieces when it was unearthed, and there are six pieces of the bottom of the bowl (ring foot) and the bowl body. The heart of the ring foot bowl is painted in blue colour (commonly known as blue and white, cobalt oxide mineral pigment) two Chinese characters, the first word is "筭" ("calculation"), the other word is incomplete, only the upper half of the "亼", "亼" under the stroke of the possible words are: "She", "She", "Yu", "Quan", "He" and "life",(舍“，”佘“，”余“，“全”，“合”和 “命) the author guesses, may be the word "fortune telling"(算命)? . If the second word below is "life"(命), the author believes that this bowl may not only be used for navigation, but also for exploring feng shui.
After the two small pieces of the bowl body are pieced together and restored, it clearly shows the six characters of "Zi" (due north), "Cou"(丑), "Chen"(辰),” Yi"(巳), "Wu" (午) and "Wei"(未) and there is a circle of similar graduation scales above the text. These six porcelain shards, the ring foot biscuit is thick and heavy, and the biscuit body is glazed with egg white glaze(,卵白釉)with crackle which may be due to the phenomenon of crackle decorating slip before applying the glaze of Yuan blue and white. The colour of blue and white cobalt material is dark grey (may be the colour more relate to the end of the Yuan ).If the whole porcelain bowl is restored, its complete shape should be similar to the typical egg-white glaze or blue and white flare rim bowl fired in the Jingdezhen kiln of the Yuan Dynasty. The Chinese nautical compass generally lists 24 directions, but this compass only lists the directions of 12 characters (30 degrees apart between the two directions), and it is possible that the bowl is small and cannot accommodate all the 24 characters.
Fig.20 Yuan Dynasty soil layers in an archaeological excavation
pit halfway up Fort Canning Hill, Singapore, in 1984
Fig. 21 Fragments of blue and white compass bowls unearthed at Fort Canning Hill,
Singapore, with the word "calculate" Collection of the National University Museum
2. Victoria Concert Hall
In 2010, the archaeological excavation in the open space of Old Parliament House Lane, next to the Victoria Concert Hall, Fig. 22, the important unearthed cultural relic is a Yuan Dynasty Yuhuchun vase with the upper half of the neck and mouth lost Fig. 23. The glaze is close to egg white. The painting is a grape vine leaf and fruit scroll, a band of grass pattern on the short ring foot, and the painting is delicate and the Sumaliqing smalt colour is bright blue.
Fig. 22, Archaeological excavation on the vacant lot of the old Parliament House
Lane near the Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore
Fig.23 A Yuhuchun vase of a Yuan Dynasty grape vine scroll unearthed
at the Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore
3. Empress Place
In 2015, the largest archaeological excavation ever carried out by the National Heritage Board of Singapore at Empress Place on the banks of the Singapore River, unearthed 2.5 tons of cultural relics, including the Yuan Dynasty: shard of the Lin(water caltrop 菱花)flora rim plate, the Longquan remnant tripod incense burner, the Yinqing (影青)small lid box with sculpture figures and blue and white fragments Fig.24 with chrysanthemums, pointed round lotus petals and square shoulder lotus petal bowls.
Fig.24 Fragments of Yuan blue and white bowls excavated
from Empress Place on the banks of the Singapore River
4. St. Andrew's Cathedral
In 2004, an archaeological excavation in the open space inside the fence of St. Andrew's Cathedral Fig.25 revealed a ton of excavated artifacts, including a small 14th-century Zhangzhou pottery jarlet and a piece
Fig. 26 of the fragment of the Yuan blue and white bowl, the inner mouth of the bowl has a spiral scroll pattern, and the inner bottom is a bunch of lotus patterns.
Fig.25 Archaeological excavation in the open space inside the fence of St. Andrew's Church, Singapore
Fig.26 Fragments of a blue and white bowl unearthed at St. Andrew's Church, Singapore
5. The Temasek Wreck of Pedra Branca Reef
In 2015, during the salvage of a modern flat-bottomed steel barge stranded near the Pedra Branca Lighthouse at the eastern entrance to the Singapore Strait, a Yuan Dynasty Chinese shipwreck and a Qianlong-era British East India Company shipwreck were found nearby. This time we are going to talk about is the Yuan Dynasty shipwreck near the Baijiao (White Rock Reef)Lighthouse Fig 27. The salvage work was carried out from 2016 to 2019 under the auspices of the National Heritage Board of Singapore and the Yusof Ishak Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Flecker Michael Flecker presided over the salvage and made the initial archaeological report in 2022 (5). According to reports, the sailing vessel may have sailed south from China during the northeast monsoon between November and March, and when it sailed westward into the eastern entrance of the Singapore Strait, it deviated for some reason from the deep-water channel to the south shallow waters， and may have hit a reef about 60 metres northwest of the lighthouse of 2 metres deep. The wooden ship, which had completely disintegrated at the wreck site , could not find the wooden structure of the hull, and was judged to be a Chinese sailing junk based on a rectangular inkstone that may have been the personal belongings of the crew, and that the porcelain and artifacts were scattered in shallow water of 2 to 8 meters in an area of about 80 meters long and about 40 meters wide Fig. 28.
Fig 27 Yuan Dynasty shipwreck No.1 near the Pedra Branca Lighthouse
at the eastern entrance to the Singapore Strait
Fig.28 Ceramic scatter of the Temasek shipwreck near the Pedra Branca lighthouse, Singapore,
E15 spot where the junk hit the reef.
A total of 4.4 tons of porcelain were salvaged, including Longquan, Qingbai, Shufu, Dehua, Yuan Qinghua and Zhangzhou kiln pottery jars, and five fragments on display at the Asian Civilization Museum Fig. 29: a bunch of lotus bowl of mandarin ducks inside, gardenia ,lingzhi passion flower scroll bowl, four vajras on the inner bottom of stem cup, a large bowl of peony scroll, the largest piece is a fragment of a large jar of painted peony scroll, and the inner wall is also clearly visible of thick parallel lines may be scraped with a bamboo brush. These fragments share common features, with skilful and graceful painting, the transparent egg-white glaze and the vivid emerald blue colour of Su Ma Liqing Cobalt(smalt from Persia) that seems to be less affected by long-term erosion of the sea. It is said that the fragments of Yuan blue and white that came out of the water of this ship are the largest number of archaeological records ever recorded. Since there is no Yuan blue and white plate favoured by the Middle East and India, and most of the types of ceramics unearthed in the water are similar to those unearthed in the Yuan Dynasty on the main island of Temasek in Singapore, this report deduces that the port of destination of this ship is Temasek 60 km further west, and the Yuan Dynasty shipwreck is named Temasek. It is estimated that the place where the ship first hit the reef was near the detection square, E15, which is a special focus of many poachers, there were several stacks of Longquan bowls solidified on the reef by rust and coral, and several blue and white bowls that were almost intact, and there were signs of severe damage by the raiders.
The above is based on the preliminary report of Temasek's 2022 salvage study, and the overall salvage has not yet been fully sorted out and completed, and there should be a more complete report and summary of the research and findings later.
It is a pity that the whole ship salvaged the only fully intact Yuan blue & white round-bellied long-necked vase with a high ring foot, neck has a raise round dish, the report indicates that this device is a Persian hookah bottle, but the author thinks that it should be a hand cleanse vase Fig. 30, similar shard has also been unearthed at the kiln site of the end of the Yuan Dynasty in Luomaqiao, Jingdezhen, Fig. 1 left. There are a total of eight layers of paintings, from top to bottom, neck: brocade pattern, banana leaves, copper coin with hole, flame lotus petals, spiral scroll pattern, shoulder: gardenia scroll, body: passion flower scroll, upward lotus petals. Foot: pointed and round lotus petals.
Fig.29 Temasek wreck tuan inkstone, Longquan Celadon and Yuan blue & white fragments
from the collection of the Asian Civilisations Museum
Fig. 30 The only intact blue and white hand cleanse vase of the Horsburgh reef Temasek wreck, height 26 cm, collection by Asian Civilisations Museum
It is unusual for the whole ship to salvage the only blue and white complete piece of the Yuan blue and white hand cleanse vase, in normal case a wreck contains thousands or tens of thousands pieces of ceramics . There may be two reasons for this: (1) The author believes that when the wooden ship hit the reef and was shipwrecked, the hull broke and several sections were washed away by the ebb tide of the turbulent flow at a speed of two knots, or the wooden structure and porcelain were washed away by the current after the wooden hull disintegrated hundreds of years later. (2) There are two references in the report to the traces of damage to the wreck by looters prior to archaeological salvage and the looting of the wreck, Fig. 31.
In 2000 AD, 15 years before the discovery of the wreck at Pedra Branca(Horsburgh reef), fishermen from Indonesia, who were closer to the reef, used rectangular fishing cages made of chicken wire mesh instead of fishing nets on small sampans to fish in the shallow waters of Pedra Branca, as shown in Fig. 32 and had to dive to secure the wire cages to the seabed at a depth of 2 to 8 meters to avoid being swept away by the turbulent currents. Fishermen were the first to discover the Yuan Dynasty shipwreck and Yuan blue & white and a large number of thefts. The author believes that the National Heritage Board of Singapore only found a blue and white complete vessel and the fishermen's pre-robbery and theft are the main reasons.
Fig. 31 Coralization of coral and rusted iron on Longquan plates at the seabed
with signs of damage caused by the poachers
Fig. 32 Wire cage dive fishing commonly used by sampan fishermen in Indonesia and Singapore
Over the years, there have been a numbers of Yuan blue & white shipwreck pieces appeared in Singapore's antique market, some of which come from several waters in Indonesia, such as Natuna Islands, Palembang Musi River, Belitung, Java sea Tidung Island and Linga Island, but most of the sellers are reluctant to say the source of the water or really don't know the source, but the author feels that many of the artifacts seem to come from the surrounding areas not far from Singapore. June 16, 2021 Press release about the discovery and completion of the salvage of two Yuan and Qing dynasty shipwrecks in the waters of Pedra Branca Singapore. Long before this announcement, author happened to have contact with the seller to have some Yuan shipwrecked blue & white, which was first from Batu Puteh (white reef in Malay) since 2000, which is the waters of Pedra Branca of Singapore, and was picked up by Indonesian fishermen diving in sampans with wire cages.
These two messages have resolved my puzzle for many years. Because these ship wreck yuan blue and white are authentically proved by archaeological and non-archaeological means, their existence and accurate provenance.
The most important shipwreck of the Yuan Dynasty appeared in the water of our country, which is also related to the maritime trade of Singapore's Temasek and the Maritime Silk Road 700 years ago.
The author has long been interested about the porcelain related to this theme article, and very few people have any understanding of the Temasek Yuan blue and white ware, especially those Temasek Yuan blue and white ware that are wander outside the Asian Civilization Museum, such an important cultural relics feel that they can't disappear out of sight without a proper recognition would be a pity, I hope to do my best to bring together the Temasek wreck porcelain in my country, and it would be a pity that there would be no such wonderful story and history if they were scattered. Due to the limited article space, I have only selected a few special and representative Temasek wreck Yuan blue & white here, and introduce them to the public:
(1) Ruyi rope handle tripod incense burner fig. 33. Pattern: The body is dark blue base with white pattern, and the four ruyis are covered with miscellaneous treasures such as fire pearl, coral, ivory, bronze coin, Chinese almanac(通胜), double gourd, gold ingot, silver ingot, and conch. Three-cylindrical solid tall foots with spiral scroll pattern. Sumaliqing （Persia smalt）with clear rustic spots condensed, flowing, depression and strong rainbow。Inner side of incense burner is egg white glaze appears as a fine wavy texture, and the foot and the bottom of the incense burner are not glazed, but they are coated with an uncommon layer of smooth and white decorating paste. There is a blue & white incense burner having a white base in the Forbidden City Museum in Beijing, with a band of silk pattern below the rim, up facing ears, the shape is similar but rounded bottom, and the three-legged is hollow.
Fig.33 Temasek wreck 2000 incense burner, blue ground, large ruyi pattern, Yuan blue & white
tripod flat-bottomed, rim 11.2 high 14.9 cm, 0.411 kg, Collection by Lim Keow Wah
(2) Five fishes octagonal Yuhuchun vase Fig. 34 Body pattern: mackerel, Chinese perch, carp, and fish swimming in the water wavelets of fish scale style . Generally, Yuan blue and white are separated into multiple layers by horizontal lines, and there are many different sections of drawings, as many as eight layers, but this vase has only one with no separation, It is rare to see ripples in the form of fish scale all over the body. The rust spots of Sumaliqing are condensed and mostly black to brown. white egg white glaze is thick and good lustre, almost not affected by sea water. The bottom of the vase is glazed, and the ring foot has flint red on the inner wall.
Fig.34 The Temasek wreck 2000, octagonal Yuhuchun vase with five fishes in ripples
rim 8 body 14.5 foot 7.8 high29 cm 0.81 kg Collection by Lim Keow Wah
(3)Twin lions & phoenixes double gourd vase Fig.35 pattern: copper coin, twin phoenixes (male three strands and female single strand tail) among peony scroll, wave crest, twin lions chasing ribbon hydrangea(one of the lions looks back), spiral scroll, lotus petals. Bright emerald blue Su Ma Liqing (Persia smalt) painting with much rainbow and black spots, thick and cracked decorating clay on the base, large crackle glaze with rusty lines, strong rainbow , yellow bubbles and corrosion pits. The feet are stained with bronze patina.
Fig.35 Temasek wreck, 2000, Yuan blue & white Lion, Phoenix, Peony double gourd vase ,
rim 4.3 body 21 foot 11.7 high 37cm 2.5 kg, Collection by Lim Keow Wah
(4) Peacock Yuhuchun vase Fig. 36 Mouth: Grass scroll, body: twin peacocks among peony scroll, below body: honeysucker scroll, lower body: lotus petals, Unique feature is the whole body sprinkled with raindrop-like blue dots which have not seen the same example elsewhere. There is flint red at the relatively high ring foot, and 2 sprinkled glaze spots on the unglazed bottom. Where the emerald, blue Sumaliqing (Persia smalt) is thick has black spots and depressions. Peacock peony of skilled painting. The light blue egg-white glaze has been eroded by the seawater with loss of lustre. The weight is a typical light type of Yuhuchun vase.
Fig. 36: Temasek wreck 2000 Yuan blue & white Peacock Yuhuchun vase with blue spots
rim 8.6 body 15.6 high 30.6cm 0.854kg Collection by Lim Keow Wah
(5) Mao(卯) Rabbit flora rim plate Fig. 37 inner side of the outermost a round band of waves, a round section of passion flower scroll, centre of garden landscape with stones, willows, chrysanthemums, bamboo, grass, banana plant, in particular, there is a galloping rabbit and above with two written characters "Mao rabbit"(卯兔), this plate is painted for the year of the rabbit of the zodiac, before this theme has never appeared in the Yuan blue and white world. Exquisite painting skills are not ordinary potters, and they may have been painted by literati painters. The outside with outer edge of the plate is also a round section of passion flower scroll. This Sumaliqing (Persia smalt)is bright in colour, and in addition to beaded droplets on the edges, it also presents many dark blue to dark condensed dots and small round patches in the strokes Fig. 38. The pattern of ink flow changes greatly, This ink rhyme is unique and particularly beautiful in terms of visual sense. With small and large bubbles in the egg white glaze also contain black bubbles , numerous corrosion pits, and a few matte sections of diameter 1-2 cm, which may be caused by seawater erosion or barnacle attachment spots. The glaze with old rainbow. Outer bottom of plate is particularly flat and not glazed, but coated with a layer of snow-white dense fine decorating slip, with many light flint red dots and spots on it Fig. 39. The ring foot is stained with old rice husk ash, bronze patina and old textile fibres. It is 9 cm high, which is a little deeper than the average 6.5 cm.
Professor Jiang Jianxin, honorary director of the Jingdezhen Ceramic Archaeology Research Institute, has been excavating the archaeological excavation of the imperial kiln site for 40 years, and in his "On Export Porcelain in the Early Ming Dynasty", he explained that the Imperial kiln found many fragments of porcelain that were "Official Gift" or export wares to various countries in the Yuan and early Ming dynasties, and many of them have Islamic style or huge imperial wares. He explained that in the museums of Southeast Asia, the Middle East, along Indian Ocean, and coastal countries of Africa, there are porcelains from this time. At his lecture in Singapore last year, Professor Jiang gave a detailed view of the rabbit plate: the materials, glaze, painting work, and pottery craftsmanship of porcelain are the same as those unearthed in Jingdezhen and are not different from those unearthed in the same period, and it is a special cultural relic that has never been seen painted with zodiac signs and inscriptions in the same period.
Fig.37 Temasek wreck at Petra Branca, Singapore, 2000 by fisherman, Yuan Blue and White
"Mao Rabbit"(卯兔), rim 45.5 foot 28.5 , high 9 cm, 4.2 kg, Collection by Lim Keow Wah
Fig. 38 "Mao Rabbit" Yuan blue & white plate Sumaliqing(Persia smalt)'s
unique condensed dots and small round patches
Fig.39 "Mao Rabbit" (卯兔)The bottom biscuit of the Yuan blue and white plate with dense and fine
decorating slip having light flint red spots
The author has studied a number of pieces of blue and white from the Temasek wreck at Singapore Pedra Branca, and feels that some (but not all) of the blue and white artifacts coming out of the water here are different from those from other places or Southeast Asia, or have the following special features:
(1) The colour of Sumaliqing (Persia smalt) cobalt glaze generally presents a very bright emerald blue, and have not seen the grey-blue or grey type of the Hongwu period.
(2) Pictures with dark blue ground and white objects appear more frequently Fig.33.
(3) Non-Glaze bottom with fine snow-white decorating slip Fig. 33.
(4) There is no separation line in the whole body, only a single theme of picture Fig.34.
(5) Using small fish scale ripples as base of the picture Fig.34.
(6) The bottom is coated with thick and cracked decorating clay, and the glaze also has similar crackle Fig.35.
(7) Sprinkled blue dots like rain drops all over the piece Fig.36.
(8) Do not see the Zodiac Rabbit and the inscription of "Mao Rabbit" in the same period, Fig.37.
(9) Condensed dark blue to dark black dots and round patches in the strokes Fig.38.
(10) frequent appearance of double and round lotus petal Fig.30.
Summary: The above Temasek wreck Petra Blanca intact Yuan blue & white is only a part of the introduction, and the Temasek wreck salvage study is only a preliminary 2022 report, there are still many fragments and a lot of information about this ship have not yet been sorted out, and we look forward to a more comprehensive and
in-depth study by the Singapore Heritage Board.
(4) John N Misic on the "Forbidden Hill" of Singapore , Excavation of the Fort Canning 1985
(5) The Temasek Centre for Historical Studies, part of the Yusof Isa Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, published a preliminary report on the excavation of the 14th-century Temasek shipwreck, which summarizes that a Chinese ship from the Yuan Dynasty produced a total of 4.4 tonnes or 106 pieces of fragments of Yuan blue and white and Longquan porcelain, some of which had been plundered before. Departed from southern China and the destination may be Temasek.
The Temasek Wreck(Mid-14th Century), Singapore, Preliminary Report by Michael Flecker
Captain Lim Keow Wah Published on 20th February 2024
He has served ExxonMobil for many years, serving as a Malacca Strait VLCC Malacca Strait Advisor, port captain, and chartering adviser. Now retired
President of the Singapore Penjing and Stone Appreciation Society.
Deputy Secretary of the International Zheng He Society (Singapore).
Deputy Director of Zisha Pot Professional Committee (China).
He has undertaken large-scale antique auctions.
Antique collections with web: limkw.com