Chronology and Significance of the shipwrecks
Name of wreck | Location | Date | Type of Ceramics | Significance of the Wreck | |
Chinese | Southeast Asia | ||||
Belitung | Indonesia | 9th Cent.
Tang |
Changsha painted wares, some Yue and Xing/ding white wares | This is so far the earliest shipwreck found in Southeast Asia. It showed that there was already a thriving overseas trade in ancient ceramics since Tang Dynasty | |
Tang Binh Chau | Quang Ngai, Central Vietnam | Late 9th Cent. Tang |
Changsha painted wares, some Yue and Xing white wares |
This wreck is around 50 years later than that from Belitung wreck. It showed that the decorations of Changsha wares have evovled. |
|
Cirebon | Indonesia | 10th Cent.
Early Northern Song |
Yue wares and some Ding white wares | The size of the cargo is very large with ceramics amounting to more than 300,000 pieces. The types of Yue wares found is varied and is a very important souce of reference for 5 Dynasties/Early North Song Yue wares. | |
Intan | Indonesia | 10th Cent. | Brown glazed vessels from Fujian and Guangdong. Small number of Yue wares | No comments | |
Pulau Buaya | Indonesia | Late 11th to
early 12th century
Late Northern Song |
Majority celadon, Qingbai, and brown glaze wares from Guangdong. Small quantity of JIngdezhen Qingbai. | This is the only know wreck from the Northern Song period that carried mainly Guangdong ceramics. | |
Nanhai No. 1 | China | 1st half 12th
Cent.
Early Southern Song
|
Jingdezhen qingbai, Longquan celadon, brown and white/Qingbai from Fujian kilns, low fired lead glaze wares from Fujian Cizao kiln, Temmoku bowl from Jian kiln, celadon wares from Fujian kilns | This wreck is in good condition and is now house in Guangdong Maritime silkroad Museum (广东海上丝绸之路博物馆). It will provide important information on the types of ceramics and building and navigation technologies once fully explored but is expected to take many years. | |
Jepara | Indonesia | 1st half 12th
Cent.
Early Southern Song |
Fujian celadon and white wares | The cargo provides a good idea of the Dehua white wares and Fujian celadon wares that were exported. | |
Kudat | Sabah (Malaysia) | 1st half 12th
Cent.
Early Southern Sng |
Fujian celadon, white/Qingbai and brown wares | The wreck is substantially looted. The 800 pieces ceramics however still provide a glimpse of the type of ceramic mix exported during the period. | |
Yuan Binh Chau | Quang Ngai, Central Vietnam | 14th Cent. Late Yuan |
Longquan celadon, Jingdezhen Qingbai/shufu, Fujian Qingbai and brown glaze, Jingdezhen blue and white wares |
|
The cargo provided information on the ceramics mix for the late Yuan period. |
Turiang | Malayasia | 1370 A.D | Mainly longquan celadon | Sisatchanalai green glaze jars and bottles. Sukhothai iron painted wares. Vietnamese iron painted wares. | The larger number of Chinese celadon suggested that Thai ceramics had yet to emerge as an important source of export ceramics. There were a small number of jars and bottles with thin green glaze which Sten Sjostrand has decided to make a distinction from the typical more thick glaze celadon. It appeared to indicate that the iron painted wares were introduced earlier than the typical Thai Sisatchanalai thicker glaze celadon wares. |
Nanyang | Malayasia | 1380 A.D | Sisatchanalai (Sawankhalok) celadon wares | It carried probably the earliest thick glaze Sisatchanalai celadon wares (as opposed to the thin green glaze in Turiang wreck) . The interior of the celadon plates/bowls are scarred by spur marks. The use of spurs were abandoned shortly and tubular support which left a ring shape scar mark on outer base was used instead. | |
Longquan | Malayasia | 1400 A.D | Chinese longquan celadon and white wares of unknown Chinese origin | Sisatchanalai (Sawankhalok) celadon and iron painted sukhothai wares | About 100,000 pieces were recovered, ie 15 times the volume on the Turiang. There were 40% Chinese wares, 40% celadon from Sisatchanalai, and 20% underglaze ware from Sukhothai. It showed that Thai ceramics had emerged as an important source of export ceramics. The celadon plates/bowls were fired on tubular supports and none has the spur marks on the interior base found on the earlier cealdon. |
Pandanan | Philippines | 1st Half 15th
Cent.
Ming Interregnum |
Small quantity of Jingdezhen blue and white wares | Mainly ceramics from Central Vietnam and some Vietnamese blue and white wares | Although the number is small, it is still a valuable source of reference of Interregnum period Jingdezhen blue and white wares. |
Royal Nanhai | Malayasia | 1460 A.D | Few Jingdeszhen blue and white and 2 Vietnamese blue and white in hidden compartment | Sisatchanalai (Sawankhalok) celadon | It showed Sisatchanalai celadon during the mature phase of production. The technique, form and decoration as demonstrated on the wares were at the very best. |
Hoi An | Vietnam | 2nd half 15th Cent. | Small quantity of blue and white | Vietnames blue and white and enamelled wares | This is a very important wreck which provides good references for Vietnamese blue and white of the 2nd half of 15th century. There were many different forms and design and the hugh volume indicated that it was the peak of Vietnamese export ceramics. |
Lena | Philippines | 2nd Half 15th
Cent.
Ming Hongzhi |
Mainly Blue and white, small number of Longquan celadon | Small number of Vietnamese blue and white and Thai celadon | Hongzhi period is most probably the starting point which Jingdezhen resumed production of increasing large number of blue and white for overseas market. This wreck carried blue and white wares with quite a wide arrange of motifs and design. It is a good source of reference for understanding Hongzhi blue and white wares. |
Xuande | Malayasia | 1540 A.D | 170 Chinese Jiajing blue-and-white ceramics | 30 iron painted wares of late style from Sukothai and Sisatchanalai | The relatively small number of Thai ceramics and larger number of Chinese blue and white very much confirmed the re-emergence of chinese ceramics as the favoured export wares. There was no Thai celadon found in the wreck. It might also be an indication of the overseas consumers preference for decorated wares over monochrome. |
Singtai | Malayasia | 1550 A.D | Small number of Sukhothai and Sisatchanalai iron-pained wares | It might be a further evidence of overseas consumers preference for decorated wares over monochrome celadon wares By now, Chinese blue and white was the most mportant export ceramics as shown in the below wrecks. | |
Belanakan | Indonesia | Mid 16th Cent.
Ming Jiajing |
Jingdezhen blue and white wares | A source of reference for Jingdezhen Blue and white wares. | |
San Isidro | Philippines | Mid 16th Cent.
Ming Jiajing |
Swatow blue and white | A good source of reference for early types of Swatow blue and white wares | |
Nan Ao No. 1 | Southern China | Mid 16th Cent.
Ming Jiajing |
Mainly Swatow and some Jingdezhen blue and white | Another wreck which can serve as a reference for early Swatow blue and white wares. | |
San Diego | Philippines | 1600 A.D
Ming Wanli |
Jingdezhen blue and white and small number of swatow wares | It is a reference for some of the kraak wares that were produced to meet overseas demand. | |
Binh Thuan | Vietnam | Late16th Cent.
Ming Wanli |
Swatow blue and white and enamelled wares | This wreck is a good source of reference for Swatow wares that were produced during the Wanli and later period. The composition of some of them is similar to Jingdezhen kraak blue and white wares. | |
Batam | Indonesia | Late16th Cent.
Ming Wanli |
Swatow blue and white and enamelled wares |
This wreck is a good source of reference for Swatow wares that were produced during the Wanli period. |
|
Wanli | Malaysia | 1st Half 17th
Cent.
Ming Tianqi |
Jingdezhen blue and white | This is an important wreck for those who are interested to identify Ming Tianqi blue and white. This is the start of the transitional phase of change of style of Late Ming to Early Qing blue and white. | |
Hatcher | Indonesia | 1st Half 17th
Cent.
Ming Chongzhen |
JIngdezhen blue and white | Another good source of reference in identifying transitional blue and white wares. | |
Vung Tau | Vietnam | 2nd half 17th
Cent.
Qing Kangxi |
Mainly Jingdezhen and small number of swatow blue and white | A source of reference of Jingdezhen export wares of the Mid Kangxi period to Europe | |
Bintan | Indonesia | 1st half of 18th
Cent. Qing Kangxi |
Mainly Jingdezhen blue and white/enamelled wares. Small quantity of sancai wares |
A source of reference of Jingdezhen export wares of the late Kangxi period to Europe |
|
Ca Mau | Vietnam | 1st half 18th
Cent.
Qing Yongzheng |
Jingdezhen blue and white and small nukmber of shiwan sancai wares | A good source of reference of late Kangxi/early Yongzheng Jingdezhen export ceramics wares to Europe. | |
Nanking (Geldermaisen) | Indonesia | Mid 18th Cent.
Qing Qianlong |
Jingdezhen blue and white and enamelled wares | A good source of reference of Mid Qianlong Jingdezen export ceramics wares to Europe | |
Diana | Malaysia | 1817 A.D
Qing Jiaqing |
Jingdezhen blue and hwite | A good source of reference of Qing Jiaqing period Jingdezhen export ceramics wares to Europe | |
Tek Sing | Indonesia | 1821 A.D
Qing Daoguang |
Dehua or Dehua type blue and white, some Fujian brown glaze wares and Yixing teapots | A source of reference for early 19th century Dehua blue and white wares. The huge quantity amountng to more than 350,000 pieces indicated that the demand for such ceramics was substantial in Southeast Asia. In fact, such Dehua blue and whites were found in large quantity in the ancient Vietnamese port of Hoi an. | |
Desaru | Malaysia | +/- 1840 A.D | Mainly Jingdezhen blue and white, some Fujian blue and white and Yixing teapots | A reference source of late Daoguang period blue and white for Southeast Asia market |
Written by: NK Koh (18 Dec 2010)