Characterizing the Stoneware "Dragon Jars" in the Guthe Collection: Chemical, Decorative, and Formal Patterning

Abstract

This paper presents a multifaceted study of a collection of stoneware ceramic vessels in the Guthe Collection of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan. These vessels, recovered in the Philippines but manufactured in multiple production sites across East and Southeast Asia, provide insights into premodern economic interactions and maritime trade. Our study of this collection drew on multiple approaches to identify coherent groupings of vessels associated with locations and traditions of production. These include instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) of pastes; laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) of glazes; stylistic analysis of decorative motifs and their execution; and study of morphological attributes. Results of our analyses point to at least four production areas for these ubiquitous trade wares and lay the groundwork for future research on Southeast Asian maritime trade from the twelfth through nineteenth centuries A.D.

Geochemical characterisation of north Asian glazed stonewares: a comparative analysis of NAA, ICP-OES and non-destructive pXRF

“…The current study uses a subset of a sample population of east and Southeast Asian stoneware that have been extensively studied stylistically and chemometrically by ICP-OES and NAA (Grave et al, 2005a(Grave et al, , 2005bMaccheroni, 2006;Sinopoli et al, 2006;Grave and Maccheroni, 2009). We selected a small assemblage from this sample that originates in Primorye Province, Far Eastern Russia and is comprised of twenty-seven ceramic sherds from two sites: Shayginskoye (n ¼ 22) and Ananjevskoye (n ¼ 5) (Fig.…”

A local discourse on the early belief system from the Philippines using evidence from the Guthe Collection | Isang diskursong lokal sa sinaunang kosmolohiya sa Pilipinas gamit ang Guthe Collection

“…The Guthe Collection's value to Philippine archaeology is immense; the substantial number of artefacts and the information they hold are significant to the study of Philippine archaeology. They come from mortuary contexts (134 burial grounds and 231 graves) (Sinopoli et al 2006) and 75 per cent of the total collection is ceramics (Guthe 1927). Although many objects were acquired from agents, information on provenance was included.…”

“…Past publications on Guthe materials include characterisation of the stoneware "dragon jars" (Sinopoli et al 2006), types of porcelains (Aga-Oglu 1946, 1948, 1951, and gold dental ornamentation (Guthe 1935). Analyses of various objects such as beads, oriental ceramics, human crania, metal implements, and shell bracelets remain unpublished (see Sinopoli et al 2006).…”

“…Past publications on Guthe materials include characterisation of the stoneware "dragon jars" (Sinopoli et al 2006), types of porcelains (Aga-Oglu 1946, 1948, 1951, and gold dental ornamentation (Guthe 1935). Analyses of various objects such as beads, oriental ceramics, human crania, metal implements, and shell bracelets remain unpublished (see Sinopoli et al 2006). The Guthe materials remain as source of data for anthropology students at the University of Michigan (Birch 1939;Bridges 2000Bridges , 2005Chilakapati 1996;Clark et al 2007;Hughes n.d.;Kuo n.d.;Pratt 1955;Shepherd 1942).…”

New Research on an Old Collection: Studies of the Philippine Expedition (“Guthe”) Collection of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan

“…Building on the technological, stylistic, and temporal groups identified in earlier work (Sinopoli et al 2006), Dueppen examines the distribution of dragon jar types across the southern and central Philippines and by Guthe site type.…”