Tek Sing Wreck Spoon

$31.57

A white glazed ceramic spoon from the Tek Sing shipwreck, featuring a short straight handle with a small knob to the end. The spoon shows a wide body to accommodate a generous portion of food. Its uneven edges slightly flare out around the body before flattening along the rim. The back of the spoon remains partly unglazed.

Date: Circa late 18th-early 19th century AD
Period: Qing Dynasty
Provenance: From the 1822 Tek Sing shipwreck that was discovered by Michael Hatcher in 1999.
Condition: Fine condition. Some dulling of glazed surfaces due to seawater exposure.

SOLD

SKU: MG-39 Category:

The Tek Sing (which means “True Star” in Chinese) was a large Chinese junk which sank on 6th February 1822 in an area of the South China Sea, known as the “Belvidere Shoals”. Undertaking its attempted journey from Amoy to Jakarta were 1600 emigrants and an enormous cargo which included silks, spices, and 350,000 pieces of Chinese porcelain. Indeed, some of the cargo was even strapped to the ship’s hull, but its tight packing allowed it to become the largest cargo of Chinese porcelain ever to be salvaged from a wreck. The great loss of life associated with the sinking has led the Tek Sing to be referred to in modern times as the “Titanic of the East” (cf. Nagel Auctions, ‘Tek Sing Treasures’, 2000, TS 137).

Weight 25.2 g
Dimensions L 10.2 x W 4.8 cm
Culture

Region

Pottery and Porcelain

Reference: For a similar item, please see The British Museum, item 2000,0911.10

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