box BM-2000-1211.6

Period:Qing dynasty Production date:1822 (circa)
Materials:porcelain
Technique:glazed
Subjects:flower calligraphy
Dimensions:Diameter: 8.30 centimetres Height: 4.50 centimetres

Description:
Round blue-and-white porcelain box painted within a double ring, showing a flowering orchid and two-line inscription.
IMG


Comments:The wreck of the Tek Sing (True Star), a Chinese Junk carrying porcelain bound for Java, went down off the Belvedere Reef, Gaspar Straits (Indonesia) on February 6, 1822. It ran aground on a reef. The Tek Sing was a junk from Amoy (Xiamen) of approximately 1000 tons. It had a crew of 200, 1600 passengers (immigrants) and a large porcelain cargo on board. The great loss of life associated with the sinking has led to the Tek Sing being referred to as the “Titanic of the East”.”The salvaged cargo contained mercury, sextants, pocket watches, Chinese ink pads, an iron and brass cannon, a bronze cannon, boxes with needles, pocket knives, Chinese brass padlocks, candlesticks, incense burners, telescope parts, coins and 350,000 pieces of Chinese porcelain”. Most of the porcelain is from the Dehua kilns. The wreck was discovered by Michael Hatcher on May 12, 1999. The auction of the Tek Sing cargo was held in Stuttgart, Germany in November 2000.