Pieces from the largest known collection of trade ceramics is now on display at Adelaide Festival Centre, highlighting the importance of archaeology in telling the untold stories of cultural history.
Building on years of work led by Flinders University archaeologist Associate Professor Martin Polkinghorne, the exhibition Reuniting Cargoes showcases trade ceramics from the 9th to the 19th centuries and digital reconstructions of the ships that carried them along the Maritime Silk Route.
Working closely with Indonesian archaeologists, students, and the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries who manage shipwrecks and collections in Indonesia, Professor Polkinghorne and his team are aiming to uncover the origin of these ancient, orphaned ceramics, and reconnect them to their countries and communities of origin.
“Since the 1960s, Southeast Asia has seen a big rise in the salvage of underwater cultural heritage,” says Associate Professor Polkinghorne.
“These items are often taken from unprotected sites and distributed to collections worldwide. In this process, the connection to their original locations is lost or obscured, diminishing their cultural and historical significance.
“Our project aims to address that challenge by working out which object came from what shipwreck, and how it came to be out of the water and in collections.”
Funded by the Australian Research Council and other contributors, the international research team will apply methods of archaeological science to vast collections of ceramics held by the Republic of Indonesia, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and another amassed by barrister and collector Michael Abbott AO KC.
All the ceramics in the current exhibition, now running at The Galleries, Festival Theatre until January 25, have come from Mr Abbott’s collection. Donated to Flinders University in 2022 and comprising more than 2,300 pieces, it is believed to be the most extensive collection of trade ceramics in Australia.
The exhibition has been made possible thanks to Flinders University’s recently announced education partnership with Adelaide Festival Centre.
With Flinders’ City Campus located adjacent to Festival Plaza, the partnership aims to support students, artists and the wider industries by enhancing the cultural and educational landscape of South Australia.
The exhibition was officially launched in November at The Galleries, Festival Theatre, and was opened by Flinders University Chancellor John Hood and Deputy Chancellor Douglas Gautier AM, also CEO and Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival Centre. Also in attendance was Michael Abbott AO KC.
Exhibition details:
What: Reuniting Cargoes – Underwater Cultural Heritage from the Maritime Silk and Spice Route
When: Open 10am – 3pm Friday and Saturdays from now until Saturday 25 January 2025. Closed 27 and 28 December. Also open during Festival Theatre performance times.
Where: The Galleries, Festival Theatre, King William Road, Adelaide.
Admission: Free
Funded by the Australian Research Council, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, A. Hunter OAM, M. Abbott AO KC, and D. Gautier AM. Supported by Flinders University.