Object Size: 2005.1.00889.002 1 x 7.7 x 3.3 cm,
Object Size: 2005.1.00889.001 2.7 x 15 x 9.9 cm,
Object Size: 2005.1.00889.004 0.8 x 3.5 x 1 cm
This silver bowl might have been used for serving food at a royal court or other high-status, ceremonial occasion. During the Tang dynasty, gold and silver vessels were highly prized by Tang elites for their luxurious appeal. Beyond their association with status, however, many believed that eating and drinking from utensils made of precious metal would enhance one’s longevity. Objects made of silver were among the many items recovered from the Tang shipwreck, a 9th-century vessel en route from China to Middle East when it sank off the coast of Belitung Island in the Java Sea.