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Made in China

A 1,200-year-old shipwreck opens a window on ancient global trade.

/2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/01-stoneware-jar-714.jpg /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/tang-60-01.jpg Photograph by Tony Law Rare Artistry Crusted with sealife, this Tang dynasty stoneware jar was found off Indonesia's Belitung Island.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217469 /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/02-golden-winecup-714.jpg /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/tang-60-02.jpg Photograph by Tony Law Rare Artistry Goods from the Belitung ship exemplify the creativity and craft that flourished in Tang dynasty China, such as this wine cup and bracelet shaped from pure gold.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217468 /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/03-cobalt-ceramic-714.jpg /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/tang-60-03.jpg Photograph by Tony Law Rare Artistry This intact cobalt-blue-and-white ceramic from China is the oldest ever discovered.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217476 /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/04-silver-flask-714.jpg /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/tang-60-04.jpg Photograph by Tony Law Rare Artistry Also found among the Belitung treasures was this intricately engraved gilt silver flask.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217474 /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/05-bronze-mirror-714.jpg /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/tang-60-05.jpg Photograph by Tony Law Rare Artistry This ornate bronze mirror was already antique when the ship sailed.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217470 /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/06-broken-bowls-714.jpg /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/tang-60-06.jpg Photograph by Tony Law Trade Goods The ship carried some 55,000 bowls made for export in Hunan Province kilns. Most bowls are six to eight inches across, and many were packed in large jars.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217477 /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/07-decorated-stoneware-714.jpg /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/tang-60-07.jpg Photograph by Tony Law Trade Goods Fish, flowers, religious symbols, even poems, applied in copper- and iron-based glazes, decorate the stoneware.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217475 /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/08-straw-duck-714.jpg /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/tang-60-08.jpg Photograph by Tony Law Artful Design A tiny duck guards the inside opening of a drinking straw built into a 3.5-inch-tall cup, perhaps to keep out wine dregs.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217473 /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/09-dragon-stopper-714.jpg /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/tang-60-09.jpg Photograph by Tony Law Artful Design A splendid dragon-head stopper may have been the original cap for this 35-inch-tall ornamental ewer of unique size and design.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217471 /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/10-dog-figure-714.jpg /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/tang-60-10.jpg Photograph by Tony Law Artful Design Along with practical pottery from the Changsha kilns, the Belitung wreck also carried this three-inch-tall decorative figurine of a dog. The bluish green glaze that originally covered all but the base is largely gone, but the lifelike energy of the alert pose remains.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217478 /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/11-ivory-pieces-714.jpg /2009/06/tang-shipwreck/img/tang-60-11.jpg Photograph by Tony Law Signs of Life A bone die and inch-high ivory "acorns"—game pieces, perhaps—hint at amusements that helped pass idle hours for passengers and crew on the heavily laden vessel. The voyage ended as a total loss, but its remains enrich our vision of China's long trading history.]]> http://pictopia.com/perl/ptp/natgeo?photo_name=1217472