Jointly organised by Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, The Smithsonian Institution and the Asian Civilisations Museum, this exhibition celebrates one of the most important archaeological finds of the twentieth century.

Jewel of Muscat | Model replica of a 9th Century Dhow | Wood with cotton sail.
A model like this was made as a reference point for the shipwrights of the Jewel of Muscat, a recreation of the Belitung ship that was built in Oman and sailed from Muscat to Singapore in 2010. It was based on the excavated remains of the wreck.

In 1998, a fisherman diving for sea cucumbers off the coast of Belitung, an island in the Java sea, came across an unexpected mound rising above the flat sea floor. It was composed if ceramic bowls and jars, some whole, some fragmentary, buried in the muddy sand, or encrusted in coral. When salvagers begin investigating the site, they discovered that these objects were just part of an ancient cargo that consisted of tens of thousands of ceramics, (and other, even more precious artefacts), and that the ship that had carried them was far from home.

All but one of these large jars, some still encrusted with coral, were used as containers for other goods such as Changsha bowls and star anise spice.

The ninth-century Belitung ship is the oldest ocean-going vessel ever found in South East Asia. The existence of this ship confirms the existence of a direct maritime trade route from the Gulf to the South China Sea, and embodies the seafaring enterprise that give birth to legends as that of Sinbad. A cache of rare and spectacular Tang dynasty gold and silver objects adds further to the mystery surrounding the ship’s final voyage.

Bracelet with engraved floral designs | China | Tang dynasty .ca 825. – 50. Gold

Changsha wares - To save space, bowls of similar shape and size were nestled within each other in a coiled arrangement. As many as 130 bowls could be fit in a packing jar.

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The Belitung Ewer – Over a meter tall, the Ewer with a handle in the form of a lion and a dragon head spout demonstrates how metalwork shapes could be popularised in cheaper ceramic.

Ewer with lugs and freely modelled dragon-head spout and feline-shaped handle

This cup is the most important Tang gold object ever found outside China. It is unusually large and heavy, and the cost of its material alone would have equalled ten year’s salary for a low-ranking Chinese official.

Happening at the Art Science Museum, we would highly recommend this exhibition for history buffs as it provides a deeply engaging account and important insight into ancient trade. In a historical context, this exhibition is nicely complimented by the current Traveling The Silk Road & Genghis Khan exhibitions, of which we’ll post more about soon.

Exhibition: Shipwrecked: Tang Treasures and Monsoon Winds
Date: Now till 31 July 2011
Venue: Art Science Museum