When Temasek meets China : trade and consumer culture in 14th to 16th century Singapore

• Main Author: Ong, Rie Shih Wei
• Other Authors: Goh Geok Yian
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Humanities
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/66262
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

As historical accounts have shown, Blue and White Porcelain was one of the most prized commodities that was traded to Singapore and the Southeast Asian region. At a much larger scale, it was also one of the most important commodities that was traded between China and the rest of the world since the Yuan Dynasty. Even though significant research has been devoted into studying the trade networks between China, the West and the Near East, there is a lack of research in the role of Southeast Asia as an important intermediary point between these trade routes. This study examines how vessel types and motifs on Blue and White Porcelain artifacts excavated in Singapore can allude to important conclusions about consumer culture and trade during the 14th to 16th Centuries. The conclusions drawn will also be situated in a comparative approach with other Southeast Asian sites such as Trowulan, and to understand how Chinese ceramic manufacturers were successfully able to cater to the demands of different markets worldwide. This thesis will also illustrate how material culture provides a crucial source of information, in particularly in the study of pre-modern societies due to the lack of written accounts.