Title
Jar decorated with dragons and lozenges
Year/Period
Tang dynasty, around 830s
Region
Gongxian kilns, Henan province, China
Material
Dimension
Object Size: 38.2 cm
Accession No.
2005.1-00393
Collection of
Credit Line
The Tang Shipwreck was acquired through the generous donation of the Estate of Khoo Teck Puat.
Lively competition among China’s kilns during the 9th century meant that potters had to constantly tailor their designs to appeal to customers. A successful new design would often be copied by another kiln. Artists sometimes drew inspiration from Middle Eastern designs. A lozenge with flowers at the corners is a design developed in the Abbasid Empire (covering Iran, Iraq and surrounding regions). Chinese artists adopted the pattern, probably to appeal to Middle Eastern clients. This jar has an incised floral lozenge motif and dragon on its shoulder. The lozenge appears on a variety of objects found in the Tang shipwreck, including ceramics and metalware. The shared design is emblematic of the relationship between China and the Middle East.
