Title
Bowl with dragon medallion
Year/Period
Tang dynasty, around 830s
Region
Probably Gongxian kilns, Henan province, China
Material
Dimension
Object Size: 4.2 x 14.4 x 14.5 cm
Accession No.
2005.1-00398
Collection of
Credit Line
The Tang Shipwreck was acquired through the generous donation of the Estate of Khoo Teck Puat.
The central medallion – a dragon chasing a flaming pearl – was a new motif at this period and may derive from textile designs. The rendering in relief probably copies metalwork. A bowl with similar ornamentation was excavated at Yangzhou, where the Belitung ship assembled much of its cargo. These more colourful products appealed in particular to foreign markets. Tang green-splashed wares have been found at the Abbasid city of Samarra (Iraq), the port of Siraf (Iran), and other sites in the Near East.
