This glazed, polychrome, stoneware plate from the kilns of northern Vietnam is an excellent example of the enameling technique that arose in this region. It is decorated with underglaze blue and overglaze yellow, green and red enamels. The top of the rim is decorated with a repeating cross-hatch pattern in red and separated by green dots, all encompassed within a band just below the unglazed rim. The center of the piece is graced with a depiction of a fierce mythical lion surrounded by green and yellow clouds. The enamels are fused to the glazed surface by means of a second firing at a lower temperature.Northern Vietnamese kilns were at their height in the late 15th century and produced wares largely for the Southeast Asian and West Asian markets. Vietnamese potters tailored their designs to their designated markets emulating both Chinese forms such as the mythical lion and indigenous styles and motifs based on their own traditions.
