WATER VESSEL

International relations between China and the outside world already date back to the 7th century Tang Dynasty. An inevitable effect of such international interactions was cultural diffusion. Here is a great example for such multi-cultural influences. Its general shape resembles an Amphora (from the West), while the handle takes the form of a dragon, a motif commonly found in China. Made of stoneware, this is a ceramic piece with a yellowish glaze, the result of high firing technique (above 1200˚ centigrade). It is exceptionally rare, since other, similar objects, are usually only found in fragments.