This covered square ewer has finely painted underglaze blue designs that include floral sprays of peonies and lotus. The sprays are surrounded by cloud collar scrolls and by minor decorative bands of keyfret and lozenge motifs.Although heavily influenced by the Chinese ceramic tradition, Vietnam materials and potting styles are unique. Technically not ‘porcelain’, which is translucent and pure white, these stonewares are different in appearance from Chinese and other Southeast Asian ceramics. Vietnamese wares are typically more heavily potted and have an off-white clay body. Cobalt oxide could have been imported from West Asia via China to produce the blue tones.Vietnam entered the international trade during the 14th century and produced the greatest volume and variety of wares for Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. However, by the 16th century, due to intense competition from the Chinese kilns, the export of Vietnamese wares to these markets was greatly reduced.This high quality piece is reportedly from a shipwreck in Indonesian waters. It is a very rare example of the technological and artistic sophistication that was achieved by Vietnamese potters at this time.
