Excavated from the Astana Tombs of the Turpan region in western China, this bowl was made on a pottery wheel, fired at low temperatures, and painted. The dots on the surface, some of which form a lotus flower, represent a specific motif known as the “connected bead” pattern. This popular pattern was an auspicious symbol that was used widely across West Asia, including in the Sasanian Empire, Turkistan, and China, and which also appears on vessels of Korea’s Unified Silla period. Painted vessels like this were often produced as grave goods.