Chasing dragons through time and space : martabani dragon jars in the Kelabit highlands, Sarawak, East Malaysia
This thesis explores how a special group of objects, referred to as dragon jars in Southeast Asia, cross cultural and geographical boundaries and acquire new meanings within different social and temporal settings. The object biographical approach serves as the main theoretical framework for the dragon jar enquiry within which the complex histories of jars are revealed and a closer study of object-agency takes place. The mosaic of jar biographies is investigated through the dual methodologies of anthropology and archaeology recovering information which may otherwise have remained difficult to interpret from a singular disciplinary perspective. Dragon jars â or Martabans or Martavans as they are referred to in specialist literature â are large stoneware vessels, decorated with a pair of eponymous dragons. The manufacture of these objects can be traced back to the workshops of southern China, where jars were first produced to service the burgeoning early global maritime trade. Their primary function was to contain fresh water and consumables on long sea-journeys and to serve as non-permeable packaging materials for commodities. However, as soon as dragon jars reached Southeast Asian shores, not only their
Nyiri, Borbala
Chasing dragons through time and space : martabani dragon jars in the Kelabit highlands, Sarawak, East Malaysia. This thesis explores how a special group of objects, referred to as dragon jars in Southeast Asia, cross cultural and geographical boundaries and acquire new meanings within different social and temporal settings. The object biographical approach serves as the main theoretical framework for the dragon jar enquiry within which the complex histories of jars are revealed and a closer study of object-agency takes place. The mosaic of jar biographies is investigated through the dual methodologies of anthropology and archaeology recovering information which may otherwise have remained difficult to interpret from a singular disciplinary perspective. Dragon jars â or Martabans or Martavans as they are referred to in specialist literature â are large stoneware vessels, decorated with a pair of eponymous dragons. The manufacture of these objects can be traced back to the workshops of southern China, where jars were first produced to service the burgeoning early global maritime trade. Their primary function was to contain fresh water and consumables on long sea-journeys and to serve as non-permeable packaging materials for commodities. However, as soon as dragon jars reached Southeast Asian shores, not only their
dragon time_space dragon jar highland east malaysia explore special group object refer dragon jar southeast_asia cross_cultural geographical boundary acquire new meaning within different social temporal setting object biographical serf main_theoretical framework dragon jar enquiry within complex history jar reveal close_study object agency take_place mosaic jar biography investigate dual methodology anthropology archaeology recover information may otherwise remain difficult interpret singular disciplinary perspective dragon refer specialist literature large vessel decorate pair dragon manufacture object trace_back workshops southern china jar first produce service burgeon early global maritime_trade primary_function contain fresh water long sea serve non permeable packaging material commodity however soon dragon jar reach southeast_asian shore