Famen Temple Pagoda: Vessel

CHINA, Shaanxi, Baoji; Tang dynasty

This vessel was made during the 8th or 9th centuries and comes from the eastern Mediterranean. It is one of twenty glass items recovered from the temple. They provide evidence of interaction between China and the West during the Tang dynasty (618–907).
The vessel is 21 cm high with a diameter of 4.7 cm at the mouth. It has a round base, a slightly curved body culminating in a short neck, and a prominent rim. The round decorations affixed to the body of the vessel can be divided into four types: raised black circles, elongated fish shapes, seed pods, and elongated black shapes. Inside the vessel there is a piece of paper with Chinese characters, only two of which can be recognized as “true lotus.”