With Chinese dragon heads on its handles and a shape that echoes a two-handled Greek wine jar, this vessel reflects centuries of exchange between China and the Mediterranean world. Alexander the Great’s campaigns in Asia in 330–325 BCE extended as far east as Gandhara in present-day eastern Afghanistan and western Pakistan. Chinese westward exploration during the 2nd century BCE established ties to settlements in central Asia. These cities, states, and oasis settlements formed the first Silk Road, a trade route across the Eurasian continent.