enticz: July 2012

Pictures below show the celadon bowls dated Northern Song dynasty (960 to 1127AD) which I bought from an antique dealer in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. These Song dynasty bowls were actually from the Kudat wreck, dated to the Song period, is the oldest shipwreck discovered in Malaysian waters. Some of the salvaged items are now on display at the Sabah museum. The celadon bowls are with carved motif from Tong'an (同安) kiln in Fujian Province.

The Tanjung Simpang Mengayau shipwreck site was unusual in many ways. It was the only site which discovered in shallow water and close to shore. The wreck was said to be discovered by fisherman on 15th April 2003. However, based on the condition of the wreck, it is obvious that looting of the cargo had already heavily taken place by local fishermen before the official announcement. This dealer, which I bought the celadon bowls from, were been directed to Tanjung Simpang Mangayau to witness it. Some quantity of the ceramics from this wreck made their way to antique shops in Kota Kinabalu. The Sabah Museum gave Nanhai Marine Archaeology Sendirian Berhad, a salvage company, a permit to excavate the site. More than 800 ceramic and non-ceramic items were salvaged from a depth of 400 metres from the Tanjung Simpang Mengayau shore at the Northern tip of Borneo, close to Kudat in Sabah. Simpang Mengayau meaning 'lingering junction', is where the South China Sea lingers and meets the Sulu Seas. The treacherous coastline was the cause of many past shipwrecks.

According to the Sabah museum short introduction of the wreck, it is a Chinese merchant ship which was probably on its way to Brunei, which ancient Chinese text recorded that it had diplomatic and trading relationship with China since the Song Dynasty.

All the bowls below with curved or combed motif are examples of typical products from the Fujian kilns. Many of such bowls have vertical combed lines on the external wall, which the Chinese sometime call them as cat crawled lines.