Tea bowl from the shipwreck of the "Witte Leeuw"

Tea bowl from V.O.C. ship the 'Witte Leeuw' IMG

When the trading ship Witte Leeuw (White Lion) of the V.O.C. sank on 16 June, 1613 off the coast of St. Helena after a battle with two Portugese ships, its load, including ceramics, spices and diamonds, was lost to the sea. In 1977 an underwater expedition brought several objects to the surface again, among them this intact tea cup from China.

Tea bowl from V.O.C. ship the "Witte Leeuw", colour photograph, before 1613, unknown photographer; source: Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.9207, public domain.