Bowl

Round bowl, with almost straight sides, tapering slightly to a simple, sharply cut ring base. Glazed inside and out with a creamy white-green glaze. The base appears to have been cut down after firing, resulting in the loss of chips and glaze around the edges. The base is unglazed and the recessed center has a small amount of an orange-brown wash. The shape of the bowl is slightly irregular, and the mouth is slightly oval or elliptical. Gray-white stoneware.

A concave curve appears at the base of this deep, cylindrical beaker-shaped bowl with cool, grayish-ivory glaze. The undecorated surface is enlivened by considerable temperature differentiation between glossy “front” and matte “back,” as well as irregular glaze flows. Similar shapes occur with underglaze-iron decoration and are dated 14th century (Stevenson and Guy 1997, p; 37, fig. 14). Inside a narrow, carved footrim is a pale swirl of iron pigment, related to the unexplained “chocolate bases” of many 14th century and later Vietnamese ceramics. Five small spur marks appear in the bottom.

Historical period(s)
Tran dynasty, 14th century
Medium
Stoneware with ivory glaze; iron pigment on base
Dimensions
H x Diam (overall): 10.6 x 14.6 cm (4 3/16 x 5 3/4 in)
Geography
Vietnam, Hai Duong province, Red River Delta kilns
Credit Line
Purchase — funds provided by the Docents of the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1998.12
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Bowl

Keywords
stoneware, Tran dynasty (1225 - 1400), Vietnam
Provenance

To 1998
Chao Phraya Gallery, Washington, DC, acquired from an unidentified collector, to 1998 [1]

From 1998
Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Chao Phraya Gallery in 1998

Notes:

[1] The Chao Phraya proprietors explained that this object came from the collection of an Australian ambassador to Vietnam around 1982 (see Curatorial Note 2, Louise Cort, December 19, 1997, in the object record).

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Chao Phraya Gallery

Description

Round bowl, with almost straight sides, tapering slightly to a simple, sharply cut ring base. Glazed inside and out with a creamy white-green glaze. The base appears to have been cut down after firing, resulting in the loss of chips and glaze around the edges. The base is unglazed and the recessed center has a small amount of an orange-brown wash. The shape of the bowl is slightly irregular, and the mouth is slightly oval or elliptical. Gray-white stoneware.

A concave curve appears at the base of this deep, cylindrical beaker-shaped bowl with cool, grayish-ivory glaze. The undecorated surface is enlivened by considerable temperature differentiation between glossy "front" and matte "back," as well as irregular glaze flows. Similar shapes occur with underglaze-iron decoration and are dated 14th century (Stevenson and Guy 1997, p; 37, fig. 14). Inside a narrow, carved footrim is a pale swirl of iron pigment, related to the unexplained "chocolate bases" of many 14th century and later Vietnamese ceramics. Five small spur marks appear in the bottom.

Published References
  • Louise Allison Cort, George Williams, David P. Rehfuss. Ceramics in Mainland Southeast Asia. Washington. .
  • Betonamu no toji [Vietnamese Ceramics Exhibition]. Exh. cat. Fukuoka City, Japan. .
  • John Stevenson, John Guy, Louise Allison Cort. Vietnamese Ceramics: A Separate Tradition. Chicago. p. 137, fig. 14.
  • Thomas Lawton, Thomas W. Lentz. Beyond the Legacy: Anniversary Acquisitions for the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. vol. 1 Washington, 1998. pp. 212-213.
Collection Area(s)
Southeast Asian Art
Web Resources
Ceramics in Mainland Southeast Asia
Google Cultural Institute
F|S Southeast Asia
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use