S23-3

The Cham Ceramic Collection of History Museum-Ho Chi Minh City: An Introduction to the Trade Networks of the Champa Kingdom

Phạm Ngọc Uyên1 & Hoàng Anh Tuấn2

1Bảo tàng Mỹ thuật [Fine Arts Museum], Vietnam

2Bảo tàng Lịch sử [History Museum], Vietnam

The Champa organized a dynamic entrepôt network, that was enhanced by the kingdom’s convenient geographical location with connections to international maritime routes, not only within the mainland and islands of Southeast Asia, but also with markets in South and East Asia. Cham traders exploited a variety of luxury natural products such as eaglewood, cinnamon, and manufactured ceramics to meet the needs of the multi-national markets. For example, some Cham ceramics have been found in the Philippines. The Cham ceramic pottery trade network will be introduced in this presentation, with a focus on the Cham pottery collection housed in the History Museum, Ho Chi Minh City. The Cham pottery collections of the museum consist of materials from ancient shipwrecks excavated along the central coasts of Vietnam, and ceramics that have been found in different locations in both upland and lowland areas in Vietnam. The geographic distribution of Cham ceramics suggests connectivity between the various ethnic groups in Vietnam and other states of Southeast Asia. These ceramic items will also be compared with those recently found at the Cham kilns in Binh Dinh province, which once belonged to the Champa Vijaya state during the 14th and 16th centuries CE.