Unique Artifacts in the FTCSG Assemblage

A few unique artifacts were recovered during the excavation of the FTCSG site. The following sections describe a few of these artifacts.

Green porcelain bowl (14th-century)

This unique item is a 14th-century green porcelain bowl, likely a product from the Guangdong Xicun kiln area. The bowl (rim diameter: 17 cm and base diameter: 5.9 cm) consists of an everted foliated rim and footed base. The exterior of the bowl is decorated with Incised concentric lines. The interior of the bowl comprises moulded flower petals with different symbols, possibly representing babao (eight treasures), and an impressed floral motif (possibly a peony) within a circle on the center of the interior of the base. The motifs appear to be variations on the eight treasures: rhinoceros horn, artemisia leaf, bat, and double scrolls tied with ribbons/tassels.

Figure 48. Interior of green porcelain bowl

Figure 49. Exterior of green porcelain bowl

Green porcelain jarlet (14th-century)

Both sherds belong to the same vessel: a green porcelain jarlet. The exterior displays decorations such as cloud and peony motifs. The jarlet has a flat base.

Figure 50. FTCSGGW0385 base of jarlet which joins FTCSGGW0395 jarlet body (see Figure 51)

Figure 51. FTCSGGW0395 jarlet body joins FTCSGGW0385 base (see Figure 50)

Green porcelain lid (Longquan, 14th-century)

The item is a 14th-century green porcelain lid of a large jar with a foliated rim. The glaze is high quality characteristic of Longquan ware.

Figure 52. FTCSGGW0410 Longquan green porcelain lid for a jar

Green porcelain jarlet (14th-century)

The jarlet's footed base has crackled glaze on both sides and a footed base. The exterior exhibits a fluted design. The interior shows that the top and bottom were luted together. The base is roughly formed. This object is of lower quality than those mentioned above.

Figure 53. FTCSGGW0282 olive green porcelain jarlet base

White porcelain cups (14th-century)

The two white porcelain cups (probably Dehua high-fired white ware) represent two examples of cups excavated from the site. The cup on the right has a footed base and floral motif on the interior, probably a sunflower or chrysanthemum. The other sherd has a footed base and moulded motifs on its interior.

White porcelain bowl bases (14th-century)

These images depict two examples of white porcelain bowls recovered from the site. Figure 55 is a white porcelain base (possibly Ding) consisting of a moulded floral motif in a circle at the centre of its base, surrounded by a moulded design of a dragon.

Figure 55. White porcelain with a floral motif surrounded by a dragon

The second white porcelain base has a foot and a moulded floral design on the cavetto in the form of sunflowers or chrysanthemums and leaves in the middle on the interior. Glued to WW0049 is the central design of two sunflowers or chrysanthemums and branches and leaves.

Figure 56. White porcelain with sunflower and leaves design

Iron-spotted Qingbai jarlet (14th-century)

A few sherds of high-quality iron-spotted Qingbai porcelain were recovered from FTCSG. The following is a body sherd, which exhibits an almost complete the decoration of underglaze iron brown spots on the body of a jarlet. Iron-spotted Qingbai ware is rare; objects of this ware were high-value items. Few were produced due to the difficulty of achieving the effect of brown underglazed spots which would have often turned black under an oxidizing atmosphere in a kiln.

Figure 57. Iron-spotted <em>Qingbai</em> porcelain jarlet — Figure 57. Iron-spotted *Qingbai* porcelain jarlet

Blue and white vase (14th-century)

These fragments of a blue and white vase base contain a design of clouds with pearls embedded within a lotus petal panel frame motif on the exterior.

Figure 58. Blue and white vase base with lotus panel motif

Stoneware gacuk (14th-century)

The following two items are examples of gacuk (round pottery discs or ‘token-like’ objects) made from broken and intentionally chipped stoneware sherds. The first was shaped from a brittle stoneware sherd and the second from a buff stoneware sherd.

Brittle stoneware jar (14th-century)

This brittle stoneware jar mouth has a stamped design impressed on its exterior. The stamp shows a partial Chinese character, likely qing (清).

Figure 61. Brittle stoneware jar with Chinese character stamp

Earthenware (14th-century)

The examples presented here comprise a fragment of a coarse-tempered earthenware eavesboard tile (of uncertain purpose; Figure 62) and a 14th-century brick (Figure 63).

Fine paste earthenware figurine (c. 14th century)

This fine paste artifact is likely a fragment of a figurine, most likely from east Java. It exhibits three moulded lines on what might have been the head or the torso of a human figure, depending on the size of the figurine. The object was made by hand moulding, as can be seen from the finger impression on the interior.

Figure 64a and 64b fine paste earthenware figurine fragment (obverse and reverse)

Coin (14th-century)

The image shows a Yuan-dynasty bronze coin as it was found in situ. It is bigger than regular bronze and copper cash (coins) of preceding and contemporary periods.

Figure 65. Yuan bronze coin in situ at the FTCSG site

Glass (14th-century)

There are a few items of glass from the 14th century such as a blue glass bead, a glass vase shard with inlaid yellow and blue glass, and a light green bangle. Many of these were found at the excavation site 25 meters to the west, but are very rare elsewhere in Singapore sites.

Stone (14th-century)

The stone artifact appears to have been part of a stone statue, probably dating to the 14th century and associated with the palace on Bukit Larangan or “Forbidden Hill”, as the site was known when the British arrived in 1819.

Southeast Asian Archaeological Site Reports

The Fort Canning Spice Garden Site Report, 2010