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Jewel of Muscat

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The Jewel of Muscat was built in a joint effort by the governments of Oman and Singapore. The ship is based on the Belitung Shipwreck, an Arabian ship excavated approximately one 1 mile (1.6 km) of the coast of Belitung Isalnd, Indonesia, in 1998 by Tilman Walterfang and Seabed Explorations.[1] Building of the Jewel of Muscat began in October 2008 and the ship set sail for Singapore on 16 February 2010, arriving on 3 July 2010.[2]

The Jewel of Muscat is an accurate reproduction of the Belitung treasure ship and was presented by the Sultanate of Oman to the government and people of Singapore. The Jewel is remarkable in that it was sewn together rather than the using more traditional methods of pegs or nails. The dhow is approximately 21 feet wide and 58 feet long and is an accurate reproduction thanks to the measurements taken by Tilman Walterfang and his company during the excavation.

The Jewel of Muscat is to be housed in the Maritime Xperiential Museum in the Sentosa resort in Singapore.[3]

Origins of the Jewel of Muscat

The Jewel of Muscat is a reproduction of an Arabic dhow shipwreck that went down in waters off the coast of Belitung Island near the Straits of Malacca circa 800 A.D.

Present-day knowledge of the original materials and methods used in construction of this particular Arab dhow stems largely from the shipwreck itself and the artifacts that were found under 1,200 years of sediment. Strewn amongst the hull of the shipwreck, these artifacts identify the origins and ports of call that the ship most likely would have logged. Had it not been for the artifacts found therein, identification of the shipwrecked vessel and its approximate age would have been difficult at best, and its significance would have been lost for all time. Fortunately, pieces of the original timbers (such as the unique wood from Africa) will be shown to the public for the first time in history, at the world-debut exhibition of the collection of the precious Tang Dynasty artifacts in the ArtScience Museum, situated adjacent to Singapore's Marina Bay Sands.

These artifacts, which make identification of the original template possible (and which likewise exhibit the historical veracity and cultural significance of the template-model for the Jewel of Muscat) will be debuted February 18th 2011 at the ArtScience Museum in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institute, The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., [1] the Singapore Tourism Board and the National Heritage Board of Singapore.

The significance of these Tang Dynasty artifacts contributed greatly to the decision to provide finance for the construction of the Jewel of Muscat; and remain at the very heart as a primary reason for the reconstruction of the shipwreck now know as of the Jewel of Muscat. Had it not been for these tell-tale artifacts, attesting to the historicity and value of the cargo, the Jewel of Muscat would not exist today.

References

  1. ^ "Jewel of Muscat". WoodenBoat (217): 80–83. 2010. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  2. ^ "Timeline". Jewel of Muscat. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  3. ^ "Maritime Xperiential Museum (Opening after 2010)". Retrieved 10 February 2011.

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