Collection de 15 bols en porcelaine céladon de Chine provenant de l'épave Jepara, Dynastie Song

H 7,5 x D 18,5 cm (average size)

Among the wreck’s cargo are both large and small bowls featuring carved and combed or dotted decorations on the interior and vertical combed lines on the exterior. This style is commonly termed 'Tongan type' or 'Juko (shuko seiji)' greenware (named after Juko, a Japanese tea ceremony master) and represents a continuation of the Longquan tradition. Longquan kilns began producing such wares during the mid‑to‑late Northern Song period. In his article 'Chronology of Longquan Wares of the Song and Yuan Periods', Kamei Meitoku classifies these pieces as dating to the first half of the 12th century. However, the significant quantity found in the Huaguang Jiao 1 wreck - dated to around A.D. 1162 - indicates that the Fujian version continued to be produced at least until around A.D. 1175.

The center of production in southern Fujian was Nan’an (南安), which boasted more than 47 kilns. Together with nearby kilns such as Tong’an (同安), Anxi (安溪), and Xiamen (厦门), and others further afield (Minhou [闽侯], Fuqing [福清], Putian [莆田], and Lianjiang [连江]), these workshops produced similar green wares for the overseas market.

The color tones of these Fujian wares range from olive green to grayish green, with varying degrees of yellow. Compared with the Longquan version, the Fujian pieces are less refined; in most cases the outer lower portion of the bowls is left unglazed (whereas in the Longquan version only the outer base is unglazed). (source: koh-antique.com)