Tek Sing Swatow Bowl

Object Description

A Swatow circular bowl with slightly flared sides painted with lotus petals in black and dull iron-red decoration inside and out, but much of the design faded or worn away.
The Tek Sing (Chinese, “True Star”) was a large three-masted Chinese ocean-going junk which sank on February 6, 1822 in an area of the South China Sea known as the Belvidere Shoals. The ship was manned by a crew of 200 and had approx. 1600 passengers. The great loss of life associated with the sinking has led to the Tek Sing being referred to in modern times as the “Titanic of the East”.cf. Nagel Auctions Tek Sing Treasures, 2000, TS 137.

Object History

From the 1822 Tek Sing shipwreck.

Object Literature

Michael Hatcher, The Legacy of the Tek Sing: China’s Titanic – Its Tragedy and Its Treasure, pp127-55, Granta editions. For other items from the group see Nagel Auctions Tek Sing Treasures, 2000. TS 228.

Object Details