Dawn F. Rooney

Get this book if you're interested in Southeast Asian ceramics if only for the excellent timeline of Southeast Asian ceramics at the front that overlays the history of Mainland and Island Southeast Asian ceramics and history with the region's shipwrecks (where the information we've been missing is appearing from) along with China's history and ceramics timeline. Why is this important? Because although we've been aware of those periods in Chinese history when China has closed its doors and either disallowed exports or war has destroyed its ceramics centers, those are the periods when there have been bursts of activity from the other regional ceramic centres--Thailand and Vietnam in particular. The shipwreck cargos tell the history and all the shards fall into place.

This book was published for the 40th anniversary of the Southeast Asian Ceramic Society so also includes a very fine chapter on its founder and the history of the society for those who might be interested.

An additional highlight are the two excellent maps -- one of the major ancient shipwreck sites of Southeast Asia -- and the other the kilns of mainland Southeast Asia.… (more)