Treasures rescued from Hainan’s deep sea display China’s hues

Editor's note:
Hainan, nestled at the heart of ancient maritime trade routes, has long been a hub for cultural exchange and the flourishing commerce of the Maritime Silk Road. Its story is inseparable from the sea, with the ocean writing its history through the relics hidden beneath its waves.

From the Huaguangjiao 1 and Nanhai 1 to Nan'ao 1, each ancient shipwreck lying on the ocean floor is like a colossal "mystery box", holding precious artifacts that tell tales of artisans' dedication and merchants' dreams. These relics, when brought to the surface, serve as time capsules connecting the past and the present.

Northwest Continental Slope No 1 and No 2
Between May 2023 and June 2024, archaeologists conducted underwater explorations of two Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) shipwrecks on the northwest continental slope of the South China Sea (referred to as Northwest Continental Slope No 1 and No 2). Among the treasures salvaged were stunning ceramics with vibrant hues, which bring the artistry of ancient China vividly to life.

Let's explore these ancient Chinese colors:

Flower blue in Fahua ware: For the first time, Fahua (a special glazing technique) ceramics were discovered in the No 1 shipwreck. A Fahua jar with its outer wall in openwork and gilded with peacock and peony motifs is an iconic one. Fired at a medium temperature with cobalt glaze, its intricate designs are outlined using slip-trailing and adorned with gold foil – a groundbreaking find from Jingdezhen kiln.

Peacock blue in Fahua vase: A Fahua prunus vase with lotus pond motifs represents another ceramic type. It features a dazzling peacock feather-like blue glaze achieved with a copper-based coloring agent. Raised decorative lines and yellow lotus blossoms evoke the charm of rippling waters.

Purple grey in Sancai ware: Plain tricolor ewers recovered from the No 1 shipwreck, renowned for diverse-colored glazes with the absence of red, feature various animal shapes. This elephant-shaped ewer has a manganese-glazed purple finish, with its curling trunk as a spout, tail as a handle, and holds a kalasa on its back as an opening. Small yet intricate, it offers a delightful combination of functionality and artistry.

Graceful pale grey in Sancai ware: This egret-shaped ewer was crafted using a glaze with a low iron content, resulting in a moon-like greyish-white hue. Its intricate lotus decoration and egret design represent the aspiration for success in the imperial examinations that were ubiquitous in ancient China.

Dark green in Sancai ware: Inspired by conch – one of the Buddhist "Eight Auspicious Symbols" the ewer was crafted with copper as a coloring agent and fired to achieve a lustrous dark green finish. Its vibrant appearance resembles a treasured conch on the beach.

Cerulean blue in classic blue-and-white: The decorations on this large plate were painted using cobalt glaze, which reveals a soft and elegant blue hue after firing. The plate center depicts the scene of a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate – a symbol of aspiration in ancient China. Its inner wall displays winged dragons soaring amidst clouds and waves, exuding grandeur and dynamism.

Iron oxide red on painted bowl: The outer wall of this white-glazed bowl features red-and-green motifs depicting children at play. The dominant vibrant red hue, achieved using iron as the coloring agent during firing, is particularly striking. The year mark on its base, along with supporting archaeological evidence, helps to pinpoint the shipwreck's date to the first year of the Zhengde reign (1506).

These vibrant ceramics, recovered from the deep blue sea, reveal a spectrum of colors and exquisite craftsmanship that transcend time. Want to witness their elegant forms and iridescent glazes? Visit the China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea and immerse yourself in the splendor of Hainan’s maritime legacy.