Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c5.s1.32

v1.c5.s1.32

Porcelain was another important commodity in the foreign trade of China in this period. Although historical sources do not record much about the export of Chinese porcelain to India during and before the Tang Dynasty, nevertheless archaeological excavations have yielded some quantities of porcelain or porcelain chips of the late Tang Dynasty (9ᵗʰ to early 10ᵗʰ century CE) in India and Pakistan. Literary sources for this are available from the Song period. *Juan* 489 of the *Song Shi* mentions that in 1077, 27 Chola envoys were rewarded with porcelain vessels among other things. The *Zhufan zhi* also mentions Chinese traders carrying porcelain with them to southern India. In the record of goods traded between India and China in Wang Dayuan’s *Daoyi zhilüe*, various kinds of porcelain are mentioned, including “bluish white porcelain”, “thick bowls” and “bluish white vases”. In his description of Quanzhou port, Marco Polo mentions seeing a large amount of porcelain waiting to be transported overseas. He mentioned that “such porcelain is sold to India and other places, even Maghrib of my country. This is the best in all kinds of porcelain.”