Tang Shipwreck

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Tang Shipwreck

Nearly 1100 years ago, an Arab ship bearing a precious cargo of ceramics, gold, silver set sail from the port of Canton. Just off the shores of Sumatra, near the island of Belitung, the ship sank, and remained untouched until discovered by chance in 1998.

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Permanent

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Free for Singaporeans & PRs. Ticketing charges for tourists apply.

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Getting here

5 min walk from Raffles Place MRT Station

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Gallery Overview

In 1998, a shipwreck was discovered just off Belitung Island on the edge of the Java Sea. It contained a remarkable cargo of more than 60,000 ceramics produced in China during the Tang dynasty (618–907), as well as luxurious objects of gold and silver. Bound for Iran and Iraq, the ship provides early proof for strong commercial links between China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

Southeast Asia lay at the heart of a global trading network in the 9th century. Singapore's success as an exchange point of global shipping is thus rooted in ancient history. The objects recovered from the shipwreck – some of exceptional rarity – testify to the ingenuity of artists and merchants, and show the lengths to which the world's consumers would go to obtain such commodities.

The Tang Shipwreck was acquired through a generous donation from the Estate of Khoo Teck Puat in honour of the late Khoo Teck Puat.

Blue-and-white dish

China, probably Gongxian kilns, ca 830s
Stoneware, diameter 23 cm

There were few dishes in the cargo decorated with brilliant blue glaze. Although produced in China, they used cobalt glaze, which was mined in Iran. And the lozenge motif on them is a design favoured in the Middle East. These blue-and-white plates are Chinese responses to the Middle Eastern design, using a material that could only have been brought from Iran.

Changsha bowls

China, Hunan province, ca 830s
Stoneware, each approx diameter 15cm

More than 50,000 hand-painted bowls were found in the wreckage of the ship and are now in the museum's collection. The bowls were made in Changsha, a city deep in Hunan province. Common designs are fish, flowers, birds and mountains, but there are also more unusual designs, to be viewed in the gallery.

Octagonal cup with musicians and a dancer

China, Yangzhou, ca 830s
Gold, height 9 cm

The long curly hair and billowing clothing of the musicians and dancer identify them as Central Asian. The bearded faces on the handle are also evidently foreign. As the theme of the design is revelry and entertainment, the cup would probably have been used for wine drinking on such an occasion. This cup is the largest of the type known.

Catalogue

This book tells the story of the Tang Shipwreck, discovered off Belitung Island in Indonesia in 1998, now housed at the Asian Civilisations Museum.

This publication is available for sale at the MUSEUM LABEL shop located within the museum, Level 1.

OTHER GALLERIES

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For thousands of years, the cultures of Asia have traded, interacted, and exchanged ideas. Many works of art in this section show global demand and evidence of shifting tastes as traders moved from region to region. It also tells us how special objects were eagerly sought in lands far away, and how new works of art were created through the blending of different sources.
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Masterpieces of sculpture, painting, and ritual objects trace the spread of the grand religions of India – Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, across trade routes from India to China, and on to Southeast Asia.
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Christian Art
As Christianity spread across Asia, new works of art were required to convey Christian stories, embellish churches, and motivate new converts.

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