Jarlet from Vietnam
Object No. 2011/100/24
This underglazed blue painted jarlet is decorated with with a band of pendent lotus petals and chrysanthemum flower and leaf design on the lobed body. It is one of the example of various jarlets produced during the fifteenth to sixteenth century in Vietnam. Vietnamese ceramics were largely influenced by Chinese designs and decoration. This would undoubtedly be the result of the Ming invasion of the country in 1407 and its occupation by the Chinese until 1428. However, they are not slavish copies and have a distinctive Vietnamese quality. While patterns such as lotus scroll, the trailing vine with peony, and the geometric design were borrowed from Chinese ceramic decoration, they were never exact duplications. The large quantity of Vietnamese porcelain from the fourteenth to the sixteenth century can be found in Indonesia and the Philippines. These ceramics were preserved very well because of the local burial customs. However, the founding was declined due to change of customs by arrival of Muslim and Christian influences from late sixteenth century and onward. This Sawankhalok ware is a part of Mal Maloney's ceramic collection which comprises classic early Southeast Asian and Chinese ceramics including ceramics from the Sawankalok and Sukhothai kilns in Thailand, Annamese wares from Vietnam and Swatow and Ming Dynasty wares from China. All ceramic wares in this collection were collected in Jakarta betweeen 1968 and 1976. The collection is a good representation of trade wares in Southeast Asia and reflects the development of the ceramic industry and trade within the Asian regions during the thirteenth century and seventeenth century. This group of ceramic ware was probably exported to Indonesia via a sea trade route when Thailand became deeply involved in the long-distance ceramic trade. Min-Jung Kim Curator, Asian Arts & Design March 2010 Ref: Richard, Dick, South-East Asian Ceramics: Thai, Vietnamese, and Khmer, Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur, 1995
Loading...
Summary
Object Statement
Jarlet, porcelain, maker unknown, Vietnam, 15th-16th century
Physical Description
A small jarlet of porcelain ware painted in cobalt blue underglaze. It has a flat foot, globular body, flat shoulders and thick lip. The shoulder is decorated with a pendant of lotus petals, followed by two incised horizontal bands. Alternating chrysanthemum and leaf design decorate the centre of the jarlet. A single band runs across the top of the foot. The bottom is unglazed. Small holes cover the body.
DIMENSIONS
Height
70 mm
Depth
75 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
This blue and white Vietnamese porcelain jarlet is one of the examples produced during fifteen to sixteenth century in Vietnam. Many of these ceramics have been preserved and retrieved from burial sites in Indonesia and Philippines (Nguyen-Long, 1999, 5). In general, there is a lack of chronology for Vietnamese wares from the 14th to the 17th centuries because "of the internal homogeneity of the wares and the scarcity of archaeological data" (Brown, 1988, 27). However, it is likely that these trade wares were made in the north in Hai Duong province, which is relatively close to the trading port of Van Don, and at Go Shnh in central Vietnam (Nguyen-Long, 1999, 5). In addition, the ceramics produced in this period are most famed for their blue-and-white wares. The origin of this method of decoration is uncertain, but probably coincides with the Ming invasion of northern Vietnam in 1407. With the introduction of cobalt for underglaze painted decoration, the underglaze iron black and monochrome wares quickly began to disappear (Brown, 1988, 25). Furthermore, the chrysanthemum decor is a common motif, as was the case for the other ceramics found in the Turiang wreck. (Flecker, 2001, 227). Vietnamese ceramics were largely influenced by Chinese designs and decoration.However, they are not salvish copies and have a distinctive Vietnamese quality. While pattersn such as floral scorll and geometric design were borrowed from Chinese ceramic decoration, they were never exactly duplicated.
HISTORY
Notes
The collection was purchased from the 'Tukang' tade people in Jakarta, Indonesia by its donor, Mal Maloney of Sydney. Mal Maloney says 'All the ceramics were acquired in Jakarta during the time I was working there during the period of 1968 -1976. We developed an interest in these items because our Chief geologist, Dean Frasche, was a college and a well known authority on SEA ceramics and he was always identifying pieces and explaining their origin and age. All pieces were bought over many years from 'Tukangs' or tradesmen who brought their wares to our house and offered them for sale. All were the subject of the usual Asian bargaining process, sometimes for as long as 20 minutes per piece!"
SOURCE
Credit Line
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Mal Maloney, 2010
Acquisition Date
14 October 2011
Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.
Image Licensing Enquiry
Object Enquiry