Welcome to the
Southeast Asian Ceramic Society
(SEACS)
What is the Southeast Asian Ceramic Society?
The Southeast Asian Ceramic Society was founded in 1969 in Singapore to widen appreciation and acquire knowledge of the ceramic art of China and countries adjacent to China, especially those of Southeast Asia. To pursue this aim, members meet in live or online sessions to hear talks by both local and international experts, to share information and to study and compare ‘pots’. Members also have access to previous recorded lectures and events, but many of this website’s features are free and available to all as you will discover.
For example, our members share some of their collecting stories (and the lessons they learned) with you in “Ceramic Stories”, found on the main menu. Read the story of one collector’s research into the collection he built up over the years while living in Southeast Asia by clicking on the picture on the right.
Upcoming events
The conversation continues on Cambodian ceramics. We will learn that kiln technology and the production of Angkorian stoneware ceramics advanced in two primary phases, which our speaker (Dr. Ea Darith) will introduce during his presentation based on 20 years of laboratory research and intensive excavations. To download the programme flyer, click on the programme title.
Who we are and what we do…
We are a non-profit society, founded in 1969, whose members are interested in Southeast Asian ceramics. Members needn’t be collectors, just interested in the various roles ceramics play in history, trade and culture. We are open to all from beginners to academics to specialized collectors. The Society arranges monthly programmes held on ZOOM with both local and international experts. The majority of our programmes are now recorded and available to members as a benefit of membership.
For local members, hands-on ‘handling sessions’ are held on a regular basis with experts to help members learn how to identify correctly the ceramics they may own or be considering for purchase. We also arrange an annual ceramics and book sale (featuring items de-accessioned from members’ collections) that includes many hard-to-find, out-of-print books on ceramics. Our online presence includes the digitisation of some of our publications. Field trips to both local and international destinations are regular member highlights.
The society and its early exhibitions “of the then-little-known ceramic tradition of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam caused a stir amongst the oriental ceramic cognoscenti, … inspired a generation of younger scholars and stimulated the interest of government archaeological departments throughout Southeast Asia.” As a consequence, ceramic societies were to emerge in ensuing years in West Malaysia, Jakarta, Manila and Hong Kong, following the lead of the Singapore chapter. Browse the many resources open to all on our website.
Ceramic News
Collector gifts collection to be studied then returned to countries of origin
Researchers at Adelaide's Flinders University have begun a five-year task to examine artefacts from shipwrecks in Indonesian waters, in a bid to discover new insights about the trade routes that connected South East Asia with the rest of the world for hundreds of years. Adelaide collector Michael Abbott has gifted his collection of SEA trade ceramics for study with the wish to return the pieces t [...]
More on the Temasek and Shah Muncher Shipwrecks
Two short articles by Dr. Michael Flecker on the Temasek and Shah Muncher wrecks can be found in the latest issue of Wreckwatch Magazine. Click on the picture for a direct link or copy the website address here: https://www.flipsnack.com/wreckwatchmag/wreckwatch-magazine-may-2022-ice-explorers.html
Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Members interested in underwater archaeology might want to drop by the site The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. Amongst its many features are the presentations from the 2017 conference--the 3rd Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage (APCONF). Of interest to members might be the paper dating the “Blues of the Santa Cruz Shipwreck [Hongzhi Period, 1488-1505]”, which inves [...]
Two Restorations
Watch this amazing new YouTube film of an expert Japanese restoration team (father and son) restore two damaged antique treasures (a Southern Song vase and a tea bowl) and you will learn many of the secrets of professional restorations. This beautiful 50-minute film will be a highlight of your ceramic education. The link is here. [...]
New Sui/Tang Kiln site found in Shanxi Province
Chinese authorities have announced the discovery of a new kiln site, inside an ancient royal palace, in the Province of Shanxi in northern China. The site is located in an ancient town site in Jinyuan District of Taiyuan City, the capital of Shanxi. The town, named Jinyang, was one of the most important localities in the Tang Dynasty. The Shanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology said the kiln s [...]
The Conversation on B&W Ceramics continues … with shards found in Trowulan, Indonesia
SEACS shares with you a hard-to-find essay by Dr. John N. Miksic on the B&W shards found in Trowulan, Indonesia. What relationship might they have with the B&W Yuan Dynasty shards found on the Temasek Wreck?