Persian Cosmopolis

PERSIAN PRESENCE AND INFLUENCES IN THE MALAY WORLD

In collecting textiles of the Malay world I have noticed a strong presence of Persian influence on Malay textiles in terms of the various patterns and clothing styles. My search to confirm this influence has led to many discoveries of the early Persian presence and their influences in the Malay World.

As early as the 7th century we learn from Chinese texts that the boat that took the Chinese pilgrim I-Tsing from Canton to Wijaya and into Melayu in Jambi, Southeast Sumatra, was owned by a Persian.

The early presence of Persians in Southeast Asia, such as in places like Bujang Valley in Kedah, Funan, Ayutthaya, Sri Mahosot, and the philippines, have been recorded through archaeological evidence left behind from Persian traders that traveled through the area on their way to trade in China.

One of the major pieces of evidence that such trade indeed occurred was the Belitung shipwreck of an Arab-Persian vessel that contained thousands of 9th-century Chinese ceramics and precious objects. * See the Tang Shipwreck, ACM.

Illustration from the manuscript of 1237 showing an Arab ship probably similar to the Belitung Ship. a map showing a possible trade route from Persia to the Malay world. 

(See Shipwrecked Regina Kharl , ed. , p.13 fig. 6 & p. 2 & 3 ) 

Map showing the position of Belitung shipwreck and the jewel of Muscat, a modern a 9th-century ship.

(See The Tang Shipwreck, Alan Chong, ed. p. 151 fig. 3, p. 40 fig. 1)

Especiments from the Belitung wreck - See Shipwrecked, p.28 & p.41

In language many Malay words such as shah, istana, bandar, kurmar, seluar, nisan, anggur, all have their roots in similar Persian vocabulary.

In literature, the early 17th century Taj al-Salatin and Bustan al-Salatin, two famous Malay literary works, written in Aceh, show obvious and direct influence from Persia in their content, format and writing styles.

In music, many instruments such as the Malay lute, the gambus, rebab, relate to similar Persian musical instruments. The Malay royal regalia composed of nine musical instruments called nobat is derived from the Persian equivalent, naubat.

Even in food, the quintessential Malay laksa is believed to have originated from Persia.

So I guess you can imagine my excitement when I was shown a large turqoise-glazed pot, 35.5 cm high, excavated from a tributary of the Musi River in Palembang, that the locals believed to be from Persia.

After my initial excitement subsided my doubts slowly emerged and I started questioning if this pot was really Persian let alone being from the 9th century. Yes, we know the Chinese frequented south Palembang for centuries from the number of Chinese ceramics excavated there but Persians in South Sumatra? We only have that one record of the 7th-century Persian ship?

Also, how can a low-fired lead-glazed pot still retain its glow after the ravages of use and erosion by sand and water for over 1,200 years?

When I questioned my source I found it was excavated from the Pursi river, a tributary on the northern end of the Musi river. This was the location the former old Kraton Kuto Gawang established by in the early 17th century but destroyed by the Dutch in 1659. This location is now occupied by the Pursi fertilizer company which is not far from Adam Malik's former residence.

It was from this area where the famous collector, Adam Malik found many early Tang, Sung, Yuan, and Ming wares. This testifies to the fact that the location must have been an important trading port since a time much earlier than the 17th century Palembang sultanate and that many traders from afar must have congregated around this area.

Another Persian turquiose pot, height 22cm, but of different shape, was discovered in the same area as can be seen in the video below.  

Left: Second 9th-century turqoise-glazed Persian pot, excavated in the Pursi River.

Right: 9th-century turqoise-glazed Persian amphora excavated in 1985 in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province .

Noticed the raised wave pattern decorations on the jar and the amphora are very similar.

It was explained to me that the high luster of the pot's glaze and its little degradation was the result of its not being on the river bed but in a hole dug inside the river bed. It was buried together with many later 12th century Sung longquan celadons. It, therefore, could have been from a burial site that later got flooded rather than having accidentally fallen into the river.

Upon further investigation, I found that such pots of virtually the same size, shape, and glaze color were quite common in the 9th-century as several have been found. One was discovered in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, China, one was discovered inside the Arab/Persian ship that sunk off the coast of Belitung, one in Batangas province in Luzon, Philippines. 

See Shipwrecked, p.27 fig. 21 & 21

In February 1965 a slender tall Persian pot with the same green glazed was discovered in Fuzhou, and around the same period a pot with the same glaze and similar shape, size and pattern were, discovered in Yangzhou. It was the only perfect piece among 300 shards of Persian pottery found in the vicinity. It has been recorded that since the 2nd renovation of the Grand Canal in the late 6th century Yangzhou began to prosper. Many foreign merchants, including Persians, moved from the south in Guangzhou and Quanzhou to Fuzhou and Yangzhou and by the 9th-century, Yangzhou had the largest Persian ex-pat community in China. (See Chumei Ho, "Turquoise jars and other West Asian ceramics in China", Bulletin of the Asia Institute New Series, Vol 9. p. 26, fig. 6.)

Upon a careful analyzation of the Yangzhou pot's glaze composition, ceramic experts Xiong Yingfei and Chang Fukang of the Shanghai Museum, who did laboratory tests on the Yangzhou Persian shards and similar examples found in Siraf, Iran, explain why this malachite green glaze condition on the Yangzhou Persian pot is still so pristine.

The reason is that unlike low-fired Chinese wares of similar green color and period, the glazes of Persian pots had very little lead content. The lead content in Persian pots was minimal and was counted as impurities since soda from natron found in huge amounts in the salt lakes of Persia, was the main natural component in the glaze. In China, however, to produce the glassy effect of the glaze a high percentage of lead was required since soda was not naturally available. Lead glazes over time and exposure to moisture would change in color and deteriorate or develop a silvery iridescence while the soda-based glazes remain constant in their color since they are found to be impervious, to at least freshwater.

This may explain why the Yangzhou and Palembang pots still have such well- preserved glaze conditions. This pot that is found in Palembang can, therefore, be concluded to be an authentic Persian pot from the 9th-century and testifies to the early Persian presence in Southeast Asia.

Left: Amphora found in Pursi River 

Middle: Amphora from Belitung wreck 

Right: Amphora excavated in Yangzhou

Although this pot does not show any influence on traditional Malay pottery it should still be carefully kept and preserved for posterity as Persia's visible footprints in the Malay World.