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Impression from a Seal Depicting a Ship at Sea
India, probably Bengal or Andhra Pradesh
Not on view
In eastern India during the first millennium, clay seals may have served as warrants or guarantees for the consignment of goods. The ship depicted here is an ocean-going vessel of stitched-plank construction, with a single mast and stern lateral rudder, widely used in the Indian Ocean in this period. This seal, found in central Thailand, bears witness to the maritime trade between South Asia and the Mon territories of Thailand. A number of such Indian artifacts found in central Thailand suggest a significant presence of Indian and other foreign merchants in the region.
cat. no. 1
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