vessel BM-OA+.916

Period:Ming dynasty Production date:10thC-14thC
Materials:stoneware, earthenware, porcelain,
Technique:celadon-glazed

Dimensions:Length: 16 centimetres (max) Length: 3 centimetres (min)

Description:
Sherds (series of one hundred and fifty). Made of stoneware, earthenware, porcelain. Thirty-eight blue and white; ninety celadon-glazed; twenty-two Islamic sherds.
IMG


Comments:These broken pieces of pots were found on the shores of Kilwa Kiswani, an island off Tanzania, which was once home to a major medieval African port. The pale green porcelain pieces are from China, the dark green and blue pieces come from the Persian Gulf and the brown unglazed pieces were made in East Africa. This rubbish reveals a complex trade network that spread across the Indian Ocean, centuries before the European maritime empires of Spain, Portugal and Britain. Who brought these pots to Kilwa? From around AD 800 merchants from Africa, the Middle East, India, and later even China flocked to the East African ports of Kilwa and Mombasa, which quickly grew into wealthy cities. These merchants traded in pots, spices, ivory, gems, wood, metal and slaves. A new language, Swahili, developed in this multi-cultural environment, combining existing African languages with Arabic. Islam was adopted as the religion in these ports, perhaps to aid in trade relations with the Middle East and also to protect African merchants from being enslaved by other Muslims. HOW in 100 objects.