Islamic vase shards found in Nara

NARA (Kyodo) Pieces of an Islamic ceramic vase dating back to the late eighth century have been discovered in Nara Prefecture, making it possibly the oldest Islamic porcelain found in Japan, researchers from the Nara city government said Friday.

Nineteen pieces with a blue-green exterior and dark green interior surface were unearthed at Saidaiji Temple in the ancient capital city, they said without giving the specific date of the discovery.

The excavation team also unearthed a piece of wood bearing Chinese characters indicating the year of the reigning emperor, corresponding to 768, which led the researchers to determine the era in which the Islamic vase was made.

Keisuke Morishita, head of the city's research center for buried cultural property, described the discovery as providing "first-class historical data that indicates there was a 'Silk Road of the Sea' linking eastern and western Asia."

The Nara researchers believe the vase was more than 50 cm high and had a diameter of 11 to 12 cm at its base, adding it was likely that the vase was used to carry spices or dates.