15th Century Blue and White Pottery Bowl, Hoi-An Cargo Hoard, Vietnam

Description

The Hội An Wreck lies 22 miles off the coast of central Vietnam in the South China Sea discovered by … more The Hội An Wreck lies 22 miles off the coast of central Vietnam in the South China Sea discovered by fishermen around the early 1990s.. The ship was carrying a large cargo of Vietnamese ceramics dated to the mid- to late 15th century. The provenance of the pieces was known to be the kilns of the Red River Delta (such as Chu Dau) because excavations in the region had been ongoing since their discovery in 1983. The only pieces remaining at the kiln sites were faults pieces. Intact examples of the wares produced were rare, since all were exported. When the wreck was found there was excitement among collectors and archaeologists, for it promised the first cargo consisting solely of Vietnamese wares. An ‘Evaluation Committee’ of leading Vietnamese archaeologists and art historians selected all the unique pieces for the National Collection in Hanoi and then other museums were invited to select what they wished. Six museums in Vietnam now host permanent exhibitions of material from the wreck. The remaining 90% was sold at auction in 2000 by Butterfields in San Francisco.

Some of these pieces are now surfacing 20 years after the collection was sold. Beautiful for display or non-food use. I have not tested these for lead, so please don't buy to hold food. Label with number on a sticker attached to the bottom. less