Pottery of the colonial world: the study of European porcelain in Istana Kampong Gelam, Singapore (IKG)

Abstract

Colonial archaeology in Singapore and Southeast Asia (SEA) remains underexplored. The availability of historical records and the number of archaeological sites with colonial period artifacts demonstrate the potential for significant archaeological research to be conducted in this area. Over ten archaeological sites in Singapore have yielded materials from the colonial period. Like other SEA sites, ceramics are the most ubiquitous artefacts recovered in colonial archaeological contexts. Archaeological ceramic studies can contribute greatly to our knowledge of the movement of artefacts, illuminating the utilitarian functions of the wares, as well as potentially revealing social relations within the society. The ceramic assemblage in colonial Singapore sites shows a range of imported ceramics from China, Europe, Japan, and SEA. This paper presents a study of a sample of European porcelain sherds from the Istana Kampong Gelam (IKG) site. Analysis of European porcelain at IKG has been undertaken according to four key variables: 1) provenance, 2) form, 3) decorative technique, and 4) decorative motif. A set of hypotheses has been constructed to determine the connection between these different variables, which are tested in the thesis chapters. The utilization of statistical probability tests allows the level of confidence we can have in these conclusions to be measured. This thesis hopes to contribute to existing scholarship on colonial material culture in Singapore and by extension Southeast Asia by first creating an European porcelain typology which can be used as a basis for comparing European porcelain excavated in Singapore and potentially across SEA and other parts of the British empire in future.