Tek Sing Blue and White Circular Bowls

Blue and white circular bowls, each with a short foot and slightly flared rim. They are decorated with a design of ‘shou‘ characters on lotus petals, alternating with an elaborate stylised flower.

A. Height 6.5 cm, width 14.7 cm.

B. Height 6 cm, width 14.5 cm.

Date: Circa late 18th-early 19th century AD
Period: Qing Dynasty
Provenance: From the 1822 Tek Sing shipwreck that was discovered by Michael Hatcher in 1999.
Condition: Fine condition.
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SKU: AH-344 Category: Tags: ,

The Tek Sing (which means “True Star” in Chinese) was a large Chinese junk, which sank on 6th February 1822 in an area of the South China Sea, known as the “Belvidere Shoals”. Undertaking its attempted journey from Amoy to Jakarta were 1600 emigrants and an enormous cargo, which included silks, spices, and 350,000 pieces of Chinese porcelain. Indeed, some of the cargo was even strapped to the ship’s hull, but its tight packing allowed it to become the largest cargo of Chinese porcelain ever to be salvaged from a wreck.

The great loss of life associated with the sinking has led the Tek Sing to be referred to in modern times as the “Titanic of the East” (cf. Nagel Auctions, ‘Tek Sing Treasures’, 2000, TS 137).

Weight 244 g
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Reference: Michael Hatcher, The Legacy of the Tek Sing: China's Titanic - Its Tragedy and Its Treasure, pp.127-55, Granta editions. Cf. Nagel Auctions Tek Sing Treasures, 2000. TS48.

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