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 particular dish has an incised floral lozenge motif. 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.
