This covered box has a fine underglaze blue painted decoration of two pheonix amidst clouds around the walls and a band of lotus petals around the foot. The cover is topped with a lotus bud-shaped knob. The silky smooth quality of glaze and the rich blue tone of the decoration make this a rare piece. Vietnam was at the forefront of ceramic production during the 15th century, when a gap in the export of Chinese wares enabled Vietnamese potters to compete for a share of the Southeast Asian markets. Fine quality wares such as this suggest that there was demand from sophisticated clientele for such wares.
