Rare Yuan Dynasty Porcelain Found
A record haul of rare blue-and-white porcelain from China's Yuan Dynasty has been discovered in a shipwreck off Singapore. The discovery offers new insights into medieval trade and is expected to become a centerpiece in future museum exhibitions. The find represents one of the most significant underwater archaeological discoveries in Southeast Asian waters.
The shipwreck, named the "Temasek Wreck," was discovered near the eastern entrance of the Singapore Strait and held approximately 3.8 tons of ceramics. Excavations between 2016 and 2019 were led by Dr. Michael Flecker of HeritageSG, a subsidiary of Singapore's National Heritage Board. The vessel is believed to have been a Chinese junk sailing from the port of Quanzhou, its destination most likely the bustling 14th-century port of Temasek, the precursor to modern Singapore. This discovery is distinguished by the unprecedented quantity of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain, weighing around 136 kilograms and comprising over 2,350 shards. This is the largest collection of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain ever found in a single shipwreck. The cargo also included a large amount of Longquan celadon green-ware, along with other white and green-glazed ceramics from various kilns in southern China. Yuan blue-and-white porcelain was a revolutionary and highly prized commodity in global trade. Its creation was made possible by the import of cobalt from Persia, known as "Muslim blue," which, when combined with Chinese porcelain techniques, produced vibrant and intricate designs that were sought after across the Middle East and Europe. This trade was a significant economic driver for the Yuan Dynasty. The intricate designs on the porcelain, such as motifs of mandarin ducks in a lotus pond, have allowed archaeologists to date the shipwreck to a narrow window between 1340 and 1352. This precise dating makes the collection a crucial benchmark for identifying and dating other Yuan-era ceramics found in different locations without clear archaeological context. For context, other major shipwreck finds in the region include the 9th-century Belitung (or "Tang Treasure") wreck, which held the largest single collection of Tang Dynasty artifacts, including over 60,000 pieces, and was valued at an estimated $90 million. Another significant find, the 10th-century Cirebon shipwreck, yielded over 250,000 artifacts, including imperial porcelain, Mesopotamian glass, and thousands of pearls, with an estimated value of around $80 million. A selection of the priceless artifacts from the Temasek Wreck is already on display for the public. They are housed within the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore, as part of the gallery dedicated to Maritime Trade. There, they join treasures from other significant regional discoveries, like the Belitung shipwreck, telling the story of ancient maritime trade routes.
