Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum Newsletter

Volume VIII, Number 1 Jun - Sep 2014 Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum Newsletter

The Phanom Surin Ship- InsideContents this issue: wreck: New Discovery of an Arab-style Shipwreck Newsletter articles: • The Phanom Surin in Central Thailand shipwreck...... 1 • The Belitung shipwreck Photos Courtesy of the 1st Regional and its ceramics cargo...... 4 Office of Fine Arts Department of • Review of ceramic finds Thailand in the port of Laem Pho...... 9 Collection review: In September 2013, the archaeolo- • Changsha ewer in gists of the 1st Regional Office of the shape of a bird...... 11 Fine Arts Department in Ratchaburi News in brief: received a report from the Subdis- • A report on trict Administration Organization of the conference of Research on Chinese Export Ware Phan Thai Norasing in Samut Sakhon Found in Thailand during that Mr. Surin and Mrs. Phanom Sri- the Past Three Decades .... 12 ngamdee, the owners of a shrimp farm near the Wisutthi Warawat (Klang Klong) Temple, discovered the keelson of a shipwreck, as well as other parts of a ship’s infrastruc- Fig. 1 Current view of the Phanom Editor: Surin Shipwreck excavation. • Pariwat ture, and many ceramic shards still Thammapreechakorn buried several meters deep under the muddy ground in a shrimp farm. The 1st Regional Office in Ratchaburi The location of the shipwreck was and the Underwater Archaeology Di- Editorial staff: exactly onshore in central Thailand, vision of the Fine Arts Department • Atthasit Sukkham around 8 kilometers from current of Thailand cooperated in immedi- • Wanaporn Khambut shoreline. According to the previ- ately beginning the rescue excava- • Utaiwan Chatuporn ous research, it was assumed that tion, and they named this shipwreck • Burin Singtoaj the area in which this shipwreck was the “Phanom Surin Shipwreck”, after • John Toomey found had once been the former the name of the land owner who • Walter Kassela shallows of the Gulf of Thailand and donated some area to protect the the ship was one of two Tang ship- site. The excavation is still ongoing. Reporters: wrecks ever found in Southeast Asia. During the progress of the excava- • Preeyanuch Jumprom tion, the archaeologists found the • Nia Naelul Hasanah Ridwan structure of the wooden ship almost • Atthasit Sukkham intact (Fig. 1) with its cargo of many • Burin Singtoaj ceramic shards, a part of basketwork • John Toomey attached on a ceramic, dammar (resin) inside a jar, a possible round [email protected] grinding stone (Fig. 2), a possible Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum Fig. 2 Possible round grinding stone. round stone anchor, rattan ropes,

..continue next page 1 The Phanom Surin Shipwreck

Letter from the Editor

This issue is about the contacts be- Fig. 3 Betel nuts. Fig. 5 Stitches of each hull plank using tween the Tang Dynasty and South- the fiber robes enforced and stitched. east Asia during the 9th to 10th centuries. The issue contains two articles regarding shipwrecks in the South China Sea. The first article is about the new discovery of the shipwreck of Phanom Surin sunk in the area of a former shallow of the Gulf of Thailand which is now a part of the lower central plain of Thailand. It was found that its assemblages may Fig. 4 Coconut shell with small hole. be simpler and older than the Be- litung assemblages, as mentioned in the second article. Additionally, one fiber ropes, rice grains, betel hidden key site people did not know nuts (Fig. 3), coconut shells with is the possible port of Laem Pho lo- a small hole (Fig. 4), fishbone, cated in Chaiya, Surat Thani. On the ivories, and other animal horns. east coast of the middle part of the Fig. 6 Shards of torpedo-shaped Malay Peninsula, this was a destina- The ship was built with a 17.65 me- stoneware jars: the mouths (above tion for Tang export products sup- ters long rectangular keelson and left), an Arabian inscription on some upper part (below), its shape (above plied by maritime trade routes. They the bottom of keelson is pierced right) and the dammar stuck on its were distributed to some cities lo- through with many holes for mortise inside wall (middle left). cated deep inland, especially Chaiya, and tenon joints with the frames, as it was the territory of the Srivijaya but a keel has not been found yet. 2000; 2001; Krahl, Guy, Wilson Kingdom. I hope you enjoy reading The bow possibly faced to the south and Raby, 2010). Hence, the Pha- these articles. Moreover, the restora- and the ship collapsed to the lar- nom Surin shipwreck is assumed tion of the Southeast Asian Ceramics board since only its starboard was to be an Arab-style of ship as well. Museum may be finished before the above the ground. The hull planks end of this year. We are looking for- were enforced and stitched with fib- The ceramic shards were found in a ward to welcoming you at that time. er ropes (Fig. 5) and every drill-hole number larger than other items and was probably sealed using putty of were full of variety, coming from dammar that was found as evidence several origins. in a torpedo-shaped stoneware jar (Fig. 6). Two round masts had col- The first type is the carinated earth- lapsed and lay on the larboard, of enware pots with cord marked or which one was 17.37 meters high. incised designs (Fig. 7), related to This ship building is similar to the the ceramics commonly found in a Arab-style of the Belitung ship- large number on the Dvaravati sites wreck sunk near the Indonesian is- in central Thailand, including some land of Belitung (Michael Flecker, parts of northeastern Thailand dur-

2 continue next page.. The Phanom Surin Shipwreck

Fig. 7 Shard of Dvaravati carinated earthenware pot. ing the 5th to 10th centuries. Fig. 9 Tang Fengkai unglazed jar still The second type is a portion of stringed the original fiber robes, first torpedo-shaped stoneware jars that half of the 9th century. the archaeologists believed were possibly from India or the Middle some of them were inscribed with East. Dammar was found stuck on only the single Chinese character their interior walls (Fig. 6). Howev- “吉” (Ji) onto its shoulder that er, the identification of this type was possibly a part of the full word of jar is still unclear because they “大吉” (Daji), which means “lucky”. are similar to the amphorae pro- These are dated approximately to duced somewhere in Greece or the first half of the 9th century (Fig. Fig. 8 Shards of Tang Guanchong green Egypt around the 8th century and glazed jars, first half of the 9th century. 8). A Fengkai unglazed jar with six usually found from the shipwrecks handles, with the original fiber ropes on the maritime trade routes in still strung together in all handles, the Mediterranean Sea; but the ar- from at least two kilns, specifically with a brown clay body was approxi- chaeologists do not believe that the Guanchong kilns in Xinhui and mately dated to the first half of the the amphorae came across from the Fengkai kilns, both kilns situated 9th century, similar to the Guan- those regions to Southeast Asia. in Guangdong. The Guanchong green chong jar (Fig. 9). glazed jars with four to six handles The last type is Chinese Tang ce- partially glazed only on their upper The current conclusion is that, by ramic shards that were produced part had a flat unglazed base, and taking into account all the evidence, especially the dating of ceramics, as well as all the shipwreck’s assemblages which were possibly the food- stuffs and consumer goods the sailors needed to survive, the shipwreck can be dated to around the first half of the 9th century or earlier. However, this shipwreck is still under an ongoing excavation and in a number of its assemblages the archaeologists can- not know what should be counted as cargo for sale that this ship carried in the past. Its assemblages also show that this ship has a sailing area between the Indian Sea for India or the Middle East, the Gulf of Thailand for Fig. 10 Locations of Phanom Surin shipwreck and Dvaravati cities: current Southeast Asia, and the South China shoreline (blue) and Dvaravati shoreline (black). Phongsi Wanasin and Thiwa Suphachanya (1981) and Dr. Trongjai Hutangkura (2014) Sea for the southern region of China.

..continue next page 3 According to previous research by sunk in the former shallow coastal Malay Peninsula and in the Indone- Phongsi Wanasin and Thiwa Su- waters of the Gulf of Thailand dur- sian Islands (Fig. 10). phachanya in 1981 about the geo- ing a period of ebb tide sometime morphology of the former shore- in the 9th century or earlier and it line of the Gulf of Thailand and the probably arrived to Southeast Asia settlement pattern in the Dvaravati for direct contact with any Dvaravati period during the 5th to 10th cen- ports along the coast of the Gulf of Preeyanuch Jumprom turies, they indicate this shipwreck Thailand or any Srivijaya ports on the [email protected]

The Belitung Shipwreck and Its Ceramics Cargo

Photos Courtesy of the Seabed Exploration and Sulung Segara Jaya Catalogue and the Research Agency for Marine Affairs and Fisheries Archives, Indonesia

The discovery of the Belitung ship- sidiary of the Sentosa Development as The Jewel of Muscat. Flecker wreck and its remarkable cargo wide- Corporation in Singapore. mentioned the keel is 15.5 meters ly known as the “Tang Cargo” could long with stitched hull planking. This be said as one of the largest discov- The Belitung shipwreck and its cargo dhow is estimated to have sailed on eries of underwater archaeological were found at 17 to 18 meters of the Maritime Silk Road from China remains in Indonesia. The shipwreck depth and about 1.8 miles off the to the Middle East because lots of was first found by a local sea cucum- coast of Belitung Island in Karang bowls were decorated with geomet- ber fisherman and then he informed Hitam Waters, South China Sea, In- ric decorations and Koranic motifs and “sold” the point location to the donesia. Geographically, the Belitung that were clearly intended for Mid- shipwreck salvage company in Indo- shipwreck is located at coordinates dle Eastern markets, which implied nesia, PT Sulung Segara Jaya, which 02o40’49.9” S and 107o 35’ 31.2” E the objects were produced to order then collaborated with the German and administratively located at Batu by Middle Eastern customers. Sonia shipwreck salvage company, the Itam Village, Sijuk District, Belitung Kolesnikov-Jessop (2011) stated that Seabed Exploration, led by Tilman Regency, Bangka Belitung Archipela- the ship and its cargo showed a sig- Walterfang. Both companies later go Province. Actually, this find is of nificant trade relationship between conducted a survey and removal extremely significant value to the the Tang Dynasty (the 7th to 10th of shipwreck cargo from September underwater archeology in Indonesia centuries) in China with the Abba- 1998 to April 1999 under the direc- related to maritime history and the sid Dynasty (the 9th century) in Iraq. tion of underwater archaeologist Mi- history of trading among the coun- The earliest piece bears an inscrip- chael Flecker. The Tang cargo case tries in the regions of the Middle tion mentioning the third year of was then handled by the Indonesian East, India, Indonesia, and China. Kaicheng, equivalent to 838. Other National Committee of Salvage and Furthermore the Belitung is the first inscriptions date to 826, during the Utilization of the Valuable Objects shipwreck contemporary with the reign of the Jingzong Emperor. Cargo of Sunken Ships (which at that Tang Dynasty ever found in South- time was under the Ministry of Poli- east Asia. Herein lies the first archae- Of the entire artifacts recovered from tics and Security Coordination, and ological evidence for direct trading the shipwreck, most of them are later shifted to the Research Agency between the Middle East or the mainly the Changsa ceramics (60,000 for Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the Western Indian Ocean and China, as pieces, mostly bowls), named after Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisher- well as the proof of sailing activities the Changsha kilns in Hunan where ies on January 2003). To keep the from the 9th century which passed they were produced (Flecker, 2000). collection intact as opposed to sell- through Indonesian waters (Sudary- The Changsha kilns were active by ing objects individually, Walterfang adi, 2011). the end of the Tang Dynasty (618- sold the Tang cargo for $32 million 907) and declined after the Five Dy- U.S. dollars in 2005 to the Sentosa Michael Flecker believed the ship nasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-960) Leisure Group, a wholly-owned sub- was an Omani dhow, today known period. Its top product was a grayish 4 continue next page.. The Belitung Shipwreck and Its Ceramics Cargo green glazed ware, but all iron based earth colors occur. The Changsha style is particularly notable for its tri-color decoration, and especially its early painted decoration of figures, natural ornaments and callig- raphy, as well as applied ornaments or dipped, painted and splashed glazes. By painting their designs di- rectly onto the clay body or slip coat and then covering them with a clear glaze before firing, potters could protect their designs in a way not pre- Fig. 1 Changsa ceramics placed in large jar. Photos Michael Flecker viously possible. The colors used in the underglaze designs varied from brown and green hues; and sometimes, but rarely, a blue underglaze color seems to have been used (Nill- son, 2013). Other than the Changsa ceramics, there are some Ding white glazed wares produced from Hebei and Yue ceramics produced from Zhejiang. In the Belitung shipwreck, those ceramics were placed in the large storage jars to protect them from breakage (Fig. 1). Mostly the ceramics cargo were mass produced with cheap production costs, however, not all were mass produced, especially a number of very rare blue and white wares with floral lozenge motifs surrounded by sprigs of foli- age because blue and white wares started to mass produce since Yuan Fig. 2 Green splashed cup with applied Fig. 3 Green splashed ewer with incised Dynasty. They are believed to be the fish and straw. (h. 10.7 cm, d. 9.2 cm) design and dragon lid. (h. 105.8 cm) earliest known complete Chinese blue and white wares (Hays, 2008). green splashed ewers with dragon spout. Porcelain ceramics comprise Ceramics which were found in this 23 white glazed pieces, including a shipwreck consist of earthenware, saucer with a four-foliate rim (Fig. stoneware and porcelain ceramics. 4), a white glazed bowl with a disc- The discovered earthenware shaped foot, a white glazed saucer ceramics comprise 12 pieces of the with bamboo leaf, a white glazed green splashed cups with fish and cup with handle (Fig. 5), and another a drinking straw attached (Fig. 2), a white glazed cup, for instance. green splashed ewer with incised design and dragon lid (Fig. 3), and Fig. 4 White glazed saucer with foliate rim. (h. 2.6 cm, d. 14.3 cm) ..continue next page 5 The Belitung Shipwreck and Its Ceramics Cargo

saucer attached, green glazed jars, cock, scripts, pagodas, trees, red and green glazed jarlets with lids, green brown cloud, abstract designs (Fig. 6 glazed vases, begonia-shaped green and 7), and bowls with underglaze glazed basins with six lugs in mottled lotus designs. brown, green glazed saucers, copper green and red glazed cups, bowls There were many green glazed wares with dragon medallions (Fig. 11), jar- in the cargo, such as twin-fish ovoid lets with two handles, jarlets with flasks, flasks with incised design (Fig. two handles in snakeskin glaze, jars 15), ovoid ewers with four-lobed with two lugs, four lugs, and six lugs, body (Fig. 15), pear-shaped ewers, Fig. 5 White glazed cup with handel. (h. 7.7 cm, d. 7.8 cm) jars with incised dragon and palm large bowls shaped-like a cherry designs, brown glazed lamps, a green apple flower, bowls shaped-like a The majority of discovered arti- and brown glazed bird whistle (Fig. cherry apple flower, oval bowls with facts are stoneware ceramics, such 9), brown glazed rasps in the form incised decoration, bowls with a four- as white glazed large covered jars, of a fish (Fig. 9), watercraft figurines lobed body, bowls with a splayed white glazed flasks, white glazed with dragon design, brown glazed foot, dishes with incised decoration, bowls with a disc-shaped foot, white watercraft figurines, oil lamps in the tetragonal dishes with an incised glazed large ewers, white glazed form of a cup, green glazed bowls flower (Fig. 13), flat-bottomed dishes ewers, blue and white dishes with with an underglaze painted peacock, with five-foliate rims, saucer, cups double lozenge and foliate motifs bowls on a splayed foot with land- with conical body, cups with incised (Fig. 10), blue glazed spittoons with scape design, bowls on a splayed design, covered boxes, large bowls copper red design, slop bowls, green foot with flower design, underglaze with four lugs, incense burners (Fig. glazed lamps (Fig. 8), green glazed dishes, underglaze cups, bowls with 12), and spittoon (Fig. 14). dog figurines (Fig. 9), a bowl with underglaze fish, birds, duck, - pea

Fig. 6 Bowls with underglaze painted fish design (left)(h. 5.0 cm, d. 15.0 cm), bird design (center) (h. 5.0 cm, d. 15.0 cm), and peacock design (right) (h. 9.0 cm, d. 23.0 cm).

Fig. 7 Bowls with underglaze script (left) (h. 5.0 cm, d. 15.0 cm), tree design (center) (h. 9.0 cm, d. 23.0 cm), and lotus design (right) (h. 5.0 cm, d. 15.0 cm).

6 continue next page.. The Belitung Shipwreck and Its Ceramics Cargo

Fig. 8 Green glazed lamp. (h. 22.3 cm, d. 20.0 cm) Fig. 9 Brown glazed rasp in the form of fish (above) (h. 2.4 cm, l. 18.0 cm), green and brown glazed bird whistle (below left) (h. 4.0 cm, l. 7.0 cm), and green glazed dog figurine (below right) (h. 7.8 cm).

Fig. 10 Blue and white dishes with double lozenge and foliate motifs.

Fig. 11 Blue and red glazed incense burner (left) (h. 13.5 cm), green splashed underglaze bowl with dragon medallion (center) (h. 4.6 cm, d. 14.0 cm), and brown glazed disk (?) (right) (h. 2.0 cm, d. 15.1 cm).

Fig. 12 Green glazed incense burners. (h. 11.8 cm, d. 10.2 cm & h. 14.5 cm, d.12.3 cm)

Fig. 13 Green glazed tetragonal dish Fig. 14 Green glazed spittoon. (h. 11.2 with incised flower (left) (h. 2.8 cm, d. 15.5 cm) cm, d. 15.4 cm), green glazed bowl shape like a cherry apple flower (center) (h. 4.3 cm, d. 9.3/12.0 cm), and green glazed bowl with splayed foot (right) (h. 8.4 cm, d. 15.2 cm). ..continue next page 7 The Belitung Shipwreck and Its Ceramics Cargo

Fig. 15 Green glazed flasks with incised designs (left and ceter) (h. 23.8 cm & h. 25.2 cm) and green glazed ovoid ewer with four-lobed body (right) (h. 21.5 cm).

In 1999, The Indonesian national ics currently stored in the Cileungsi artifacs is still conflicting because the committee mentioned that 47,759 Warehouse in West Java, Indonesia, national committee has undergone ceramics were sent to New Zealand which is under the authority of the organizational changes three times for the desalination pocess. A large Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and experienced the transition from number of ceramics and other arti- and Fisheries (Fig. 16). At the present, one ministry to another ministry. This facts, including 18 pieces of gold and the ceramics are in the process of re- had implications for the transfer of others, have currently become part inventory and are waiting for further the secretariat office, archives trans- of the collection of the Art Science conservation efforts. Re-inventory is fer and the transfer of artifacts from Museum, Singapore. However, there necessary because the data and in- one warehouse to another. are still several thousand ceram- formation on the number of these Nia Naelul Hasanah Ridwan [email protected]

Fig. 16 Changsha ceramics in the process of desalination at Cileungsi Warehouse, Indonesia.

8 Review of Ceramic Finds in the Port of Laem Pho

Back in 1982 to 1983 the Fine Arts In general, Laem Pho is a headland ters far from the west of headland. Department of Thailand established located on the joint between the Meanwhile, only five excavation pits the first project of survey and exca- mouth of Tha Chana River and the on the beach and surrounding sand vation on Laem Pho after the discov- Gulf of Thailand on the east coast of dunes were excavated and a large ery of many ceramic shards around 5 the middle part of Malay Peninsula number of ceramic shards were square kilometers on the beach and in Chaiya, Surat Thani (Fig. 1 and 2). found and identified as Chinese ce- shallow seabed of the headland. The results of the survey found some ramics, which numbered more than The project was led by Khemchati constructions, specifically many pos- Persian and domestic ceramics mixed Thepchai, who was an archaeologist sible freshwater ponds in the plan in the same stratigraphy. All of the responsible for that area at the time, of a pentagon, some pedestals of Chinese ceramic shards dated to the and he also published an article en- brick construction and one wooden Tang Dynasty were categorized into titled “Ceramic Finds from Laem Pho rudder preserved in the temple mu- at least five types, consisting of un- in Chaiya” in Muang Boran Journal, seum of Kaeo Temple in the capital glazed, white glazed, green glazed, vol. 10, no. 2, 1984. Chaiya, which was around 10 kilome- underglaze brown and green, and brown sprayed (Fig. 3, 4 and 5) wares, that were produced at Xingtai kilns in Hebei, Changsha and Gongyi kilns in Henan, Yue kilns in Zhejiang, Feng- kai, Xinhui, Meixian and other kilns in Guangdong, all produced in the first half of the 9th century. A very few Persian blue glazed wares were also found that archaeologist suggested were probably produced in the eastern region of Persia around the early 9th century. Khemchati Thepchai’s interpretation suggested Laem Pho was a port (he called it an “Entrêpot”), connected with the Chinese maritime routes, which started from some ports on southern and central China. More-

Fig. 1 Selected site locations and trans-peninsular route on the middle part of Malay Peninsula. Tharapong Srisuchat (2004)

Fig. 2 Ceramic shards around the beach Fig. 3 Various types of Tang ceramics Fig. 4 Changsha brown sprayed ewer, of Laem Pho. Amara Srisuchat (2001) recovered from Laem Pho. Chaiya Na- first half of the 9th century. Tharapong tional Museum Srisuchat (2004)

..continue next page 9 Review of Ceramic Finds in the Port of Laem Pho

spelling to which she referred from cluding the varieties of products O. W. Wolters’s book) appearing in and cultures, maritime trade routes, a Chinese Tang chronicle written trans-peninsular routes and the lo- by Yìjìng (a Chinese Buddhist monk, cations of inland cities and ports for 635-713); and she assumed the word contacts with the kingdoms in the “Chele-focbe” to be Chaiya on the Middle East, India, China and South- east coast of the Malay Peninsula, east Asia through the Malay Penin- as Yijing recorded when he arrived sula, which lay between the South there in 671. All evidence supports China Sea and the Indian Ocean. Chaiya as a part of the Srivijaya King- dom. Atthasit Sukkham [email protected] In 2004, Tharapong Srisuchat published his results of archaeological research as an article entitled “Ancient Ports and Trans-peninsula Routes in Upper Malay Peninsula” in Fig. 5 Changsha underglaze brown and The Proceedings of the Seminar on green bowls, first half of the 9th cen- Thailand-Malaysia: Malay Peninsula tury. Amara Srisuchat (2001) Archaeology Programme. The most interesting part of his article related over, Laem Pho was a possible to to previous research is the interpre- link to some cities deep into the tation about Laem Pho as one of the land, especially Chaiya. However, the east coast ports which linked the Underwater Archaeology Division of maritime trade routes from China the Fine Arts Department of Thailand and trans-peninsula routes to Thung has not ever surveyed underwater in Tuk (Mueang Thong), which was an- that area yet, but it is possible that other port located in Ko Kho Khao, there may be some ship sunk some- Phangnga on the west coast connect- where on the area. ing to the Andaman Sea as a part of the Indian Ocean, during the 9th to Chaiya was a big city having four 10th centuries (Fig. 1). His interpreta- Buddhist temples, including the Phra tion is based on the comparison of That Chaiya, Wiang, Kaeo and Long many Tang ceramics, Persian ceram- Temples with some Buddhist and ics, and glass beads assumed to have Hindu artifacts found around the been produced in India or Persia. city. The architectural forms of these These were found in both ports and temples had been influenced by the were possibly special items of mer- Southern Indian and Srivijaya archi- chandise, as well as being similar. tectural styles, with which they had contact, especially during the 8th to In conclusion, the port of Laem Pho 13th centuries. In her review in an was one destination of Tang ceramics article entitled “Background to Sri Vi- supplied by maritime trade routes to jaya Story, part I to V” in The Journal which the Belitung and Phnom Surin of Siam Society, from vols. 62.1 in ships used to travel before they sank. 1974, 62.2 in 1974, 63.1 in 1975, 64.1 All the above evidence also supports in 1976, and 64.2 in 1976, Mom Chao idea of trade relations, especially in Chand Chirayu Rajani suggested the the 9th century, between the Tang word “Chele-focbe” (the French Dynasty and Srivijaya Kingdom, in-

Collection Review

Changsha Ewer in the Shape of a Bird

Changsha kilns, Henan, Tang Dynasty, first half of the 9th century. Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum, Bangkok University

An ewer in the shape of a bird The Changsha kilns were active by the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, with the head as spout, tail as han- the end of the Tang Dynasty (618- as far inland as Samarra and the Ab- dle and two applied wings on the 906) and declined after the Five basid capital, as far west as old Cairo shoulder in lower relief. Low round- Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in Egypt and Antioch on the Syrian ed neck and everted foot rim and (907-960). Its main product was the Coast, and as far south as the Co- flat base. Gray stoneware with fine grayish green glazed wares and a fa- moros Island and Zanzibar. However, cracked yellow glazed and painted mous typical shape was the short- the quantity of Tang ceramics found with green and brown patches. spouted ewers with a globular body in Thailand is very small. and a straight neck. Several kinds of Ewer is a type of jug that is shaped product were also produced includ- Burin Singtoaj -like a vase and that was used for ing molded figures and wheel-thrown [email protected] carrying and storing liquids such pots, jars, dishes, and other shapes as water, tea or wine. Sometimes with complex surface decorations. “ewer” and “jug” are used inter- changeably, but a jug has a wide The use of colors on underglaze mouth, and a gently tapering body. wares varied by their yellow, brown and green hues but it was rare that The Changsha kilns are situated in the blue color seemed to have been southern China and produced dur- used. ing the Tang Dynasty (618-907). They are also called the Tongguan kilns Tang ceramics were found around due to their discovery in the present the Southeast Asian Insular and Pen- area of Wazhaping, Tongguan town, insular regions, the Indian subcon- Changsha city in Hunan province. tinent, the Indus Valley, Sri Lanka,

11 News in Brief

A Report on the Conference of Research on Chinese Export Ware Found in Thailand during the Past Three Decades

Fig. 1 Presenters join VIPs on stage to open the conference.

For 417 years the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya was an important hub for global trade. Ryukyuan trading ships in partnership with Ayuttha- ya became the middlemen for the exchange of Chinese ceramics, as well as the Thai Si Satchanalai (Sang- khalok) and Bang Rachan (Mae Nam Fig. 2 Mom Rajawongse Dr. Rujaya Fig. 3 Organizers of the conference, Noi) wares and ceramics from Japan Abhakorn and Dr. Mathana Santiwat. Pariwat Thammapreechakorn (center) and Vietnam, with the markets of with SEACM staff. the world, as proved by the huge caches found in shipwrecks in the korn, Director of SEAMEO SPAFA, and It was my role to have volunteered Gulf of Thailand. From August 1st to Dr. Mathana Santiwat, President of to help prepare the background with 2nd, 2014, Ayutthaya became the Bangkok University, opened the con- the English necessary for the confer- entrêpot for a special atmosphere, ference. The Director of the South- ence and to have been a volunteer heady with scholarship, for sharing east Asian Ceramics Museum Dr. Pari- consultant to the SEACM and their new knowledge about some very wat Thammapreechakorn, with his English newsletter which I help to well beloved old topics. The South- staffs of the SEACM, graciously and edit. It was a pleasure to meet old east Asian Ceramics Museum of expertly took care of the organiza- friends and many visiting overseas Bangkok University, SEAMEO SPAFA tion and logistics. scholars in the field, and have a re- Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts, the 3rd Regional Office of Fine Arts Department in Ayutthaya and Thammasat Museum hosted a conference of Research on Chinese Export Ware Found in Thailand Dur- ing the Past Three Decades at the Woraburi Ayothaya Convention Re- sort. Fig. 4 Cultural show by Thanom- Mom Rajawongse Dr. Rujaya Abha- butra School.

12 continue next page.. A Report on the Conference

Fig. 5 Keynote speakers Viengkeo Fig. 6 Author (center) with GET ‘14 Fig. 7 Past NMV presidents Beverly Souksavatdy and Dr. Li Boaping in- graduates Natthapong Matsong on his Frankel and Fumiko Boughey enjoy a cluding Dr. Mathana Santiwat, Dr. right and Thachsorn Tantiwong on his light moment with Dr. Li Baoping in Pariwat Thammapreechakorn and Dr. left. front of Mahathat Temple, Ayutthaya Boonrod Vuthisatkul who are in charge (from L). of the SEACM (from L). union with about 20 Thai curators Arts Department as his adviser, and Past NMV presidents Beverly Frankel that we in our Bangkok National Mu- who wrote and presented complete- and Fumiko Boughey also attended, seum Volunteers’ GET program had ly in Thai; also young Thai collector- and the three of us were hosted for trained to guide in English, as well as author-scholar Thayakarn Wong-on, dinner by Pim Praphai Bisalputra and meet with their seniors and bosses presenting his “Relative Study be- husband Jeffrey Sng who wrote the at this conference. tween Chinese Export Ware: The book Bencharong & Chinaware in Golden Age of the Nan Chang Tem- the Court of Siam: the Surat Osath- The keynote speakers included: 1) ple in Chiang Mai Province”. Several anugrah Collection about Surat young Chinese world renowned ex- of our Bangkok National Museum Osathanugrah’s, the late owner of pert from University of Sydney Dr. Li Volunteer trainees also presented, Bangkok University, the SEACM and Boaping, who addressed “The Ad- including Natthapong Matsong, cura- its holdings, collection of benchar- vances in Study of Ancient Kiln Sites tor at the Nan National Museum on ong ceramics. Pim and Jeffrey gave and Chinese Export Ware in China” “Overview of Chinese Export Ware a lecture on this subject some years which concentrated much on export Found in Nakhon Si Thammarat ago to the NMV. They drove us to ware for the Japanese tea ceremo- Province” and Thachsorn Tantiwong, the new VOC Museum named Baan ny; 2) Viengkeo Souksavatdy, Depu- curator at the National Museum, Hollanda Museum built in Dutch ty Director-General, Department of Bangkok on “Economic Role of the style on the site of the Dutch “Fac- Heritage of Lao PDR, who showed City in the Lower Ping River Basin be- tory” enclave and also to the neigh- “Chinese Export Ware Found in Lao fore the 18th Century: A Case Study boring shipyard. Later we enjoyed PDR”, and 3) Dr. Pariwat Thamma- on Evidence Found at Traitrueng City drinks at their resort hotel IUDIA with preechakorn, Director of Southeast in Kamphaeng Phet Province”. their small museum which contained Asian Ceramics Museum, Bangkok University, presenting “Chinese Ex- port Ware Found in Thailand: Ad- vances in Identity, Origin and Dat- ing”. Presentations included “Ceramic Trades on the Chao Phraya River Ba- sin, Central Thailand during the 9th to 14th Centuries”, by young Japa- nese Dr. Ko Mukai, Visiting Fellow, Center for Cultural Resource Stud- ies, Kanazawa University, who took his PhD. at Silpakorn University with one of the NMV’s mentors Dr. Amara Fig. 8 Qing blue and white bowl with Vajrayana esoteric Buddhist symbols on Srisuchat, Senior Adviser to the Fine exterior. ..continue next page 13 A Report on the Conference

spectful, on-task, well-organized and gracious gathering of like-minded scholars, a welcome break from their day-to-day hectic lives of research and an important time to share new findings and celebrate our work. We members of the NMV are greatly appreciative to our friends at the SEACM and the other organizes and sponsors for allowing us the privilege of attending this conference and to all our hosts for providing us with memorable learning experiences in this vast area of scholarship.

John Toomey [email protected] Fig. 9 Yuan blue and white octagonal lustral water jar, probably a diplomatic gift, found in the crypt of Mahathat Temple, Ayutthaya.

not only bencharong, but also many pieces of Chinese blue and white. Many of the scholars and VIPs from the conference joined us at the resort museum, which lies across the river from the Phuthaisawan Temple, the first temple built by Ayutthaya’s founder King Uthong (Ramathibhodi l), 1351 AD. Their view of the temple from IUDIA at night is awe-inspiring. On the late afternoon of the second day we all visited the ruins of Mahathat Temple to view the inlaid fragments of Chinese blue and white ceramics, the Phet Fortress where so many ships carrying Chinese ceramics and others stopped to off-load, and the Chantrakasem Palace of the Deputy Kings, now a museum, where another of our GET graduates Naruemon Kao-ngoen is the head of museum, with a fine collection of import ceramics, including Chi- nese blue and white as well as poly- chrome. It was all a very serious, joyful, re-