Asian Antiques Treasures From the PastEarly Vietnamese Ceramics

Early Vietnamese Ceramics or Annamese Ceramics

Thus Vietnamese Ceramics have been literally called “Annamese”, a practice been initiated by the Japanese.

In year 1803, following the establishment of the national capital at Hue in central Vietnam, where the first Nguyen dynasty emperor Gia-long requested that his country be known as Vietnam literally meaning ‘Pacific South’ . Thus Vietnamese Ceramics have been literally called “Annamese”, a practice been initiated by the Japanese.

A preliminary outline and classification of the known wares can be pieced together from what information is presently available.

Later Han Period
(c 1st- 3rd centuries

White bodied wares with cream white to slightly greenish glazes essentially in Chinese inspired shapes
Miscellaneous white to grayish bodied wares with cream, brown and watery green glazes.

Intermediary Period
(c. 4th – 10th centuries)

Miscellaneous white to grayish bodied wares with cream, brown and watery green glazes.

Vietnamese Ly Dynasty
(1009 -1225)

Unglazed blackish-grey bodied wares primarily covered urns, plus white to grayish bodied wares of the following glaze types: iron brown inlay; pale greenish – ochre, white, black and brown monochromes; plus 2 types of celadon (one thin, pale and translucent, the other thick and dark and underglaze iron black decorated wares.

Early Export Era
(including most of the Tran dynasty 1225-1400; c. mid – 13th -14th centuries

Whitish and grayish white bodied wares primarily in the shapes of beakers, bowls, jarlets, dishes, and some covered boxes and ewers of the following types : celadon, copper green, brown, black and white monochrome plus those decorated in underglazed iron black.

Middle Export Era
(c. 15th – 16th centuries)

Whitish and grayish white bodied wares decorated in underglazed blue and sometimes with overglaze red, green or yellow enamels in a profusion of shapes

Late Export Era
(c. 17th – 18th centuries)

Wares, probably produced at Bat Trang with a dirty whitish body and cracked ivory tinted glaze decorated in medium to dark underglaze (sometimes in glaze) blue and polychrome enamel decorated vessels including bottles, jars, jarlets bowls and dishes

Domestic Cult Wares
(c 15th – 18th centuries)

Underglaze blue wares, often with unglazed whitish-bodied appliqué dragons and rosette buttons attributed to Bat triang (2) dark bodied unglazed primarily censers, elaborately modeled attributed to Tho-ha (3) white glazed wares with a dirty white or buff body and green and / or red enamels; sometimes called ‘three color’ wares and (4) thinly glazed wares, primarily censers with amber and / or rust brown slip and elaborate carved or moulded appliqué motifs

The most abundant late 13th to 14th centuries wars are those decorated in underglaze iron followed by of green glazed. New shapes of the 14th century include small cuplike bowls, dishes of various sizes, oval shaped covered boxes, flat based jarlets and occasionally small gourd shaped ewers and bottles. Many pieces have carved footrings which are unusually wide and shallow. The body of wares is still distinctively Vietnamese : finely levigated slightly porous and generally whitish or less often pale grey.

The underglaze iron black designs are relatively limited, the most ubiquitous being a feathery flower blossom probably chrysanthemum encircled with three stems. Other designs include lotus panels and bands of a summary classic scroll. The chocolate base, first introduced among late Thanh-hoa wares becomes common in the 14th century. It consists of a brown slip either applied to flat based vessels or with carved footrings. On 15th – 16th century wares, spirals of the brush stroke are often clear. They unwind from the centre in an anticlockwise direction – opposite from the glaze marks on the bases of Chinese wares. 14th century wares is generally too darkto tell the direction of the strokes

Early Vietnamese Ceramics Blue and White Mandrin Duck

Anamese Blue and White Mandarin Duck14th Century Anamese Blue and White Mandarin Duck Water Dropper with lid sparingly

Early Vietnamese Ceramics or Annamese Ceramics Wine Droplet Frog

Early Vietnamese or Annamese Blue and White Frog14th Century Annamese Blue and White Wine Dropper Frog rawly painted with blue spots.

Early Vietnamese Ceramics Blue White Plate

Anamese Blue and White Plate 14th Century Plate tinted with a slight yellowish hitedecorated with rings of Medallion of Flowers

Early Vietnamese Ceramics Wine Kendi

Vietnamese Pottery Art - Anamese Blue and White Wine Kendi 14th Century Anamese Wine Kendi tinted with a slight yellowish white decorated

Early Vietnamese Ceramics Wine Pot

Vietnamese Dynasty Pottery Anamese Blue and White Wine Pot 14th Century Anamese Wine Pot holder tinted with a slight yellowish white decorated with floral

Early Vietnamese Dynasty Ceramics or Annamese Ceramics - Blue and White Jar

Vietnamese Dynasty Pottery Annamese Blue and White Storage Jar14th Century annamese storage jar tinted with a slight yellowish white decorated with floral

Early Vietnamese Ceramics Wine Bottle

Early vietnamese ceramics annamese wine bottle dispenser with a long tapering mouth

Early Vietnamese Ceramics Wine Bottle Vase

Early Vietnamese Anamese Blue and White Wine Bottle Dispenser A 14th Century dispenser tinted with a slight yellowish white decorated with rows the whole vase.