Annali di Ca’ Foscari. Serie occidentale

Journal | Annali di Ca’ Foscari. Serie occidentale
Journal issue | 51 | 2017
Research Article | Corallium rubrum’s Itineraries and Sources

Corallium rubrum’s Itineraries and Sources

Trades between the Mediterranean, India, China and Japan from Antiquity to Early Modern Times

Abstract

Since ancient times, red coral has been one of the most appreciated original items exported from the Mediterranean to India and East Asia, along the circuits of the silk and spice trade routes. Nevertheless, due to its rarity, as well as to a paucity or a lack of records, studies seem often to neglect this product on the move from the West to the East. Focusing mostly on some accounts from antiquity to early modern times, this paper gathers information and mentions from several sort of archival, artistic, and literary sources, in order to explain why coral was appreciated, how it was acknowledged, traded and employed by different civilizations, especially in East Asia.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: March 6, 2017 | Accepted: March 29, 2017 | Published Sept. 28, 2017 | Language: it

Keywords Eurasian tradeChinaJapanRed coralMediterranean Sea


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