The Ca Mau shipwreck refers to a Chinese cargo which sank between 1723 and 1735 off the coast of Vietnam’s farthest point in the South China Sea, and was discovered by Vietnamese fishermen in 1998. It is believed the wreck was a Chinese merchant’s junk on its way from Canton (Guangzhou) to Batavia when it caught fire and sank. The merchant had ordered the goods on board for Dutch traders, who had limited access to China and its ports. The cargo consisted of numerous types of porcelain, chinaware and blue and white wares, all designed for the European market. Blue and White porcelain recovered from the Ca Mau shipwreck have been initially dated to the Kangxi Period. However recent studies show how such production might need to be referred to the Yongzheng period (1722-35), re-establishing the importance and output of Chinese porcelain production during the Yongzheng period. It is believed that the crago consisted of ceramics from the famous kilns of Jingdezhen, Dehua and Guangzhou.
To discover more about the ceramics from the Ca Mau Shipwreck, please visit our relevant blog post: Ca Mau Shipwreck Pottery.
