Chinese shipwreck bowl from the Jepara Wreck, Song dynasty, 10th-12th century

POA

Description

Chinese shipwreck bowl from the Jepara Wreck, Song dynasty, 10th-12th century, with wide rim tapering to narrow foot, decorated with a celadon glaze and freely incised stylised floral design to the interior into which the glaze has pooled, the foot left unglazed.

Dimensions:

Diameter: 18.5 (7 5/16in.)

Notes:
The Jepara wreck was discovered just north of the Central Javan coast after local fishermen discovered ceramic shards in the area, which were analysed and found to be Song porcelain. Though very little of the wreck itself remained, the following excavations by a salvage team in 1998 unearthed over 10,000 ceramic pieces along with other artefacts including ‘jianyan’ inscribed coins dateable to the reign of Emperor Gaozong (r.1127-1162), the tenth emperor of the Song dynasty and first of the Southern Song. Ceramic goods appear to have made up a significant proportion of the cargo, and included large quantities of celadon dishes, kendi and other tableware for daily use made at kilns in Fujian Province on China’s Southeast coast. During the Song/Yuan period, the port at Quanzhou, Fujian was the largest export hub for ceramics in China. According to the Song historian Zhao Rukuo, writing in 1225, celadon, qingbai and iron-rich black and brown wares from surrounding kilns were exported to as many as 46 Asian destinations. Records indicate that Jepara was situated on a major maritime trading route, but it is unclear whether the port there was the intended destination of this particular ship, or whether it sank en route to elsewhere in Indonesia or the Philippines. Celadon bowls of this type, with simple incised or combed decoration are typical of the wares produced specifically for overseas export at Fujian kilns such as Tong’an and those at the Nan’an complex. Though celadon production had been centred around Longquan during the Northern Song (960-1127), production of Longquan-style celadons was adopted and continued by the nearby Fujian kilns throughout the Southern Song (1127-1279). The number of kendi found at the wreckage site indicates the extent to which these kilns purposefully tailored production to the tastes and requirements of foreign markets.

Provenance:

Jepara Wreck 1998 label

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Product REF: W625