A popular Chinese saying in regards to decorations is that there must be a meaning to the picture, and the message therein must be auspicious and of promising omen.  Chinese porcelain decorators have a long history of using symbolic designs, and on kraak ware the symbolism reaches new heights of ingenuity.  Individual motifs with accepted popular symbolism are combined to give more complex messages that often rely on homophones and on words that harmonize in the Chinese language.  In fact, most non-Chinese speakers would not realize that the designs did carry messages.  Buyers abroad simply reacted favourably to the artistry of the designs.  One can wonder if the producers purposely used such designs in order to have a level of esoteric interpretation that would not be understood by non-Chinese.  The messages in the designs are nonetheless universal wishes for such things as happiness and long life or portrayals of Daoist ideas.  A design with fish and waterweed, for instance, is a wish that one be blessed with abundance of good things.  A vase with oranges is a wish for peace with good fortune; and pines and deer symbolize wishes for a long life.  Other designs show ‘yin’ elements (e.g. moon, bamboo) balanced with ‘yang’ elements (e.g. goat, sunflower) to give the idea that a balance between the yin and the yang creates harmony.  All the main designs and interpretations of their meanings are giving in the following pages.  The Wanli Shipwreck cargo presents a valuable range of designs and meanings that must have been prevailing and commonly used at the time of the Wanli ship’s demise.
Ser. No. 5070.
The theme here is ‘pines and deer toast to one’s longevity’.  Pine remains green through tough winters, and legend says that eating the sap from a 1,000-year-old pine gives immortality.  The words for ‘deer’ and ‘happiness and prosperity’ are homophones.  Deer, which sometimes accompany the immortals, also signify longevity, as does the peach.

Ser. No. 5028.
Deer and pine trees represent ‘ever-green through the ages’.  The design conveys a wish for life-long vitality and health.  Pine is well-known for its tough endurance.  Deer (lu) are associated with happiness and prosperity (lu) because the words are homophones. The bamboo tree (to the left) and the 'zhu' character may be read as ‘toasting to’ and thereby grant whatever may be desired.  The deer (lu) stands as a symbol for ‘happiness and prosperity’ because the word lu is homophone of the word for happiness and prosperity.

Ser. No. 2617.
This medallion carries the same meaning as the above plate although it shows a running deer in similar landscape setting. The theme is wan shou chang qing or ‘ever-green through the ages’.  Note the 'rui' shaped cloud above the pine tree which is an auspicious emblem which suggests; ‘as one’s wishes be fulfilled’.

Ser. No. 1440.
Here is one version of the ‘spring time and longevity’ theme that was popular in the Ming dynasty.  It is portrayed by a landscape of rock, insects (e.g. bees, butterflies, crickets, cicadas) and flowers (e.g. camellia, sunflower, rose, chrysanthemum, peony).  The insects are vibrant life forms; a rock stands for longevity; and the flowers are spring blossoms.  Altogether, the design expresses a wish for youth, health and longevity.

Ser. No. 1662.
The theme in this medallion is also chun guang chang shou which also refers to ‘spring time and longevity’. This medallion depicts the mantis religiosa on a rock, about to pollinate a peony flower with a lively butterfly above. Together this connotes the blessing for vibrant youth, healthiness and longevity. Alone, the rock would represent longevity and the peony would represent spring time.

Ser. No. 2547. The theme in this medallion is chun guang chang shou  which is the same as the above.  The rabbit/squirrel on the rock represents lively youth and the Azalia, a shady plant belonging to the yin category, belong to the yang group.  Together these motifs represent ‘spring time and longevity’.

5070
5028
2617
1440
1662
2547
Ser. No. 1726.
The theme ‘all is well and peaceful with great fortune’ is represented by a vase with two oranges.  Both vase and the first character in the phrase ‘all is well and peaceful’ are pronounced ping.  The words for ‘orange’ and ‘luck, fortune’ are also homophones.  The starry design on the vase gives the idea that good things are forthcoming.  A fence divides the interior of the house from rocks in the garden.  With the left and right side being mirror images, it suggests that everything is in good balance and gives a sense of inner peace.

Ser. No. 2608.
A basket with a silver carp represents ‘surplus throughout the years’.  The symbolism is based on homophones.  The Chinese words for silver carp sound the same as for ‘throughout the years’; the words for fish and surplus also sound the same.  The full basket also implies surplus, and the fence separates the interior of the home from river rocks outside.  The design expresses a desire for abundant resources that are never depleted.

Ser. No. 2542.
The theme is ‘prosperity - progressively for endless generations’.  Prosperity, which implies abundant wealth and nobility, is represented by a hot air lantern with swastika and peony designs.  The cylindrical lantern is the same shape as the hat of a famous general from the Three Kingdoms period, Kong Ming, who supposedly invented the lantern.  There are homophones in the phrases for lantern which read tian deng which literally mean heavenly lamp and for ‘give birth to one more son’ which is a Chinese blessing.  The peony is a symbol for wealth and nobility.   The swastika, a Buddhist symbol for perpetual virtue and perfection, has been called wan since at least the Tang dynasty.  Wan also means ten thousand, and wan tai means endless generations.   During the lantern festival people write wishes on a lantern and release it into space, hoping their wishes will come true.  Two sky ladders at the upper sides represent upward progression.  Overall, the design conveys a wish for ‘progressive prosperity over endless generations’.

Ser. No. 2539.
The combination of phoenix and peonies is common in Chinese art.  When this divine, beautiful phoenix appears, say legends, the world is peaceful. The peony symbolizes abundance, honour, wealth and nobility.  Together they offer a blessing for wealth, honor and nobility in a peaceful society.
 
Ser. No. 2575.
This design shows a coiled dragon and fiery pearl among clouds.  The Chinese dragon symbolizes supreme power, superior virtue, nobility and divinity. It is probably the ultimate symbol for good fortune. In ancient Chinese astronomy, the stars formed 28 constellations that were assigned to four groupings in the directions of North, East, South and West.  The dragon represented East; the tiger represented West; the phoenix, South; and the tortoise, North.  The legend of the dragon and the pearl comes from the Han dynasty when observers noted that on the lunar New Year the moon rises between the two horns of the stars in the dragon formation. The so-called fiery pearl is actually the moon.  In later times the pearl was interpreted to be an equivalent of the Sanskrit cinta mani, a wish-giving gem.  In most Chinese art, twin dragons are shown with a red fiery pearl in flames among clouds.

1726
2608
2542
2575
Ser. No. 2558.
The theme here is ‘blessings to the family’ since the words for rock and family are homophones, as are the words for cockerel and auspicious things.

Ser. No. 2629.
The theme in this medallion reads shuang he chang he  which means ‘harmony between the pair of storks’. Typical of Daoist Ying Yang culture, twin storks and blossoming plum trees represent loftiness uncontaminated by mundane affairs, and the balanced composition gives a sense of serenity.  The stork is a divine bird of the ancient Daoist hermits who live in the solitude of mountains and valleys.  Because plums blossom in winter, they signify endurance through tough conditions.

Ser. No. 2583.
Another version of the ‘spring time and longevity’ motif with the same meaning as in 1440 above.

Med. 1.
This design refers to the belief that the appearance of the dragon and phoenix portend the coming of wonderful things.  Both creatures are popular in all forms of Chinese art.  The composition here, with a 4-clawed non-imperial dragon chasing the fiery pearl and a phoenix below, also portrays Daoist 'yin' (phoenix) 'yang' (dragon) theory. 

Ser. No. 2656.
A crane and peaches on a whirlpool of sea waves conveys a popular congratulatory birthday message to respected old people.  It can be read ‘boundless blessings comparable to the Eastern Sea and longevity comparable to the Southern Mountain.’  Ancient Daoists rode the divine crane across the skies, and they are offered divine peaches for their banquets and on birthdays.  Both the crane and peaches are longevity symbols.  Waves represent the Eastern Sea with its vast blessings.

Ser. No. 2541.
A pattern of rui-shaped leaves on a paper-folding of four folds means ‘may all your heart’s wishes be fulfilled’. The geometric folds signify multiples or enormous, and the literal meaning of 'rui' is ‘as one’s wishes be fulfilled.’

Ser. No. 2578.
Here the idea ‘may all your heart’s wishes be fulfilled’ is expressed by two paper-folds of two patterns: 'rui'-shaped leaves and the wan (swastika) character.  Wan expresses multiples or enormous.



More images may be added to this page when time permits....

A full list and artefact description (and comparison to private and museum collections) is elaborated on in the catalogue's End notes. To view or to order the full catalogue, go to: Publications.
2558
2629
2583
Med. 1
2656
2541
2578
The meaning of medallion decorations seen on porcelain  wares in the Wanli shipwreck cargo

To view or to order the full catalogue: "The Wanli Shipwreck and its Ceramic Cargo," go to: Publications.
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Nanhai Marine Archaeology Sdn. Bhd. was incorporated on the recommendation of the Malaysian authorities. This was done in order to formalize and to expand on the founder’s extensive knowledge of Asia’s ceramic developments and maritime trade.

The company’s researchers have been engaged in the search for historical shipwrecks for more than two decades and another decade researching maritime trade. Most of this work is concentrated to the South China Sea, a virtual highway for ancient shipping linking China to India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia in an extensive maritime trade system. This ancient trade started sometime around the 4th century and lasted well into the 19th century.

Following a successful shipwreck discovery, the company obtain a government permit to excavate the wreckage, and then carry out detailed marine archaeological procedures in recovering the artifacts, mapping the ship's remains and securing other data for future research. After each concluded project and following conservation of recovered artifacts, we search for and pinpoint ruined kiln sites and compare its wasters with the recovered ceramics until we are satisfied we located the place in which the shipwreck pottery was made centuries earlier. 

As such we have precisely located a kiln sites in Sisatchanalai, northern Thailand in which our Royal Nanhai and the Nanyang shipwreck celadon ware was made around AD. 1380-1460. (See videos on: http://www.ming-wrecks.com/photopage.html ) Other kilns was located in Sukhothai where production wasters matched the fish and flower plates found on the Turiang and the  Longquan shipwreck. These unique underglaze decorated wares was made at those exact kilns 600 years before we found them on the shipwrecks in Malaysia!  Our latest shipwreck cargo; The Wanli Shipwreck, of Chinese blue and white porcelain, was likewise pinpointed to the Guangyinge kiln site in Jingdezhen, China. (See video on: http://www.ming-wrecks.com/photopage.html )

Our arrangement with the Malaysian authorities is such that we finance all operations and train young Malaysian nationals (on our initiative) in maritime archaeology and related research. After giving all unique and single artifacts and thirty percent of all recovered items to the National Museum (and assisting with exhibitions of artifacts from eachhttp://www.mingwrecks.com/of reports, books and catalogues are available on these pages as well as on a separate Internet site.

Due to the unquestionable authenticity and precisely dated shipwreck pottery, many International Museums now display our shipwreck pieces as reference material. (See: http://www.mingwrecks.com/collections.html for a list of these musems).

The artifacts sold on this website are therefore legally and properly excavated and can be supplied with an export permit from the Department of Museum in Malaysia should this be required. This unique working arrangement makes us one of the few Internet sellers that sell from own excavation and issues a meaningful Certificate of Authenticity for every (numbered) piece sold.

So, if you are interested to purchase some of our Chinese porcelain and other shipwreck artifacts from the Song dynasty, Ming dynasty, or 19th century Qing porcelain or the famous Yixing teapots, you can rest assured that every piece is excavated through proper archaeology by our own staff. We do not sell anything that is not excavated by ourselves or properly recorded and researched before offered for sale so every piece comes with the “Best possible provenance”

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO EMAIL OUR PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER; Sten Sjostrand SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR POSSIBLE PURCHASE

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When buying anything from our web pages you are NOT dealing with antique dealers or other middle men. You will be buying directly from a team of dedicated researchers whom excavated, recovered and researched every single piece offered for sale. We encourage you to contact us by email with questions regarding your possible purchase. Write to: Sten Sjostrand

If you are not satisfied with our artifacts, delivery service or; if you obtain an expert opinion that our artifacts are not as old as stated by us, just return the item and we will give you full refund. Who guarantee refund?

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All our antique Chinese porcelain, Chinese pottery, Asian antiques and publications will be shipped from our store in Malaysia. The default shipping metod is "Registered Air Parcel" which is managed by Malaysia’s national post office.  Once your package is delivered to the post office, you can track its routing INSIDE Malaysia by clicking here. If you reside in the US, you can track the package's routing WHEN in the USA by clicking here. All other customers can find their national post office and their respective online tracking systems by clicking here.

When at these tracking sites, you should enter the 13 digit tracking number -which we will provide you in a separate emai after sending your order. Once this is done, we would expect to be notified about the safe arrival of the artifact(s). Should we not receive such arrival notice inside three weeks from the date when the items were delivered to the Malaysian post office, we will consider it delivered and close the account without any possibility to trace its loss or delivery thereafter.

LOSS OR DAMAGE:
We do not insure our shipments due to costly premiums and difficulties with claiming compensation in case of damage or loss. Instead, we provide safe packing boxes where each artifact is embedded and separated by foam padding. Should you despite this care receive your piece(s) damaged, we ask you to return it to us after sending us pictures of its condition on arrival. We shall then send you replacement piece(s) -free of charge. If the tracking system confirms that your package has been lost, we shall replace the artifact(s) without cost to you.

To read our customer's comments on shipping & packing, please visit our testimonies page  Here you can email the buyer directly for  verification of their statements. Please note that each of these customers has agreed to us publishing their email addresses such that anyone can write to them for confirmation of their various comments.


WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO EMAIL OUR PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER; Sten Sjostrand SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR POSSIBLE PURCHASE.

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10th June 2010




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