Chinese green ceramics such as this bottle from the Tang Shipwreck are called celadons (青瓷) and were highly prized by foreign clients, and they have been found in many sites in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Green-glazed stoneware was a specialty of southern China. The finest works (from the Yue kilns in Zhejiang province) were compared to jade. This was not only because of their colour, but also because they made a ringing tone when struck. The Yue kilns produced only a limited number of high-quality celadons. Other kilns attempted to copy these green wares, but the results were rougher. This playful bottle was probably used as a wine container. The lugs at the sides may have been for attaching a strap or for fastening the stopper. Twinned fish is a Buddhist symbol that came to represent harmony and abundance. The Tang Shipwreck was a 9th century vessel that was en route from China back to the Middle East when it sank off the coast of Belitung Island in the Java Sea.
