Lot 3128. A rare blue and white 'fish' water dropper, Vietnam, 15th century; 7.5 cm. Lot sold: 10,080 HKD (Estimate: 4,000 - 6,000 HKD). © Sotheby's 2021
Property from the Tuyet Nguyet and Stephen Markbreiter Collection.
Note: The late 15th and early 16th centuries were a golden age for Vietnamese ceramics. When the Chinese empire had banned the export of its own country's ceramics, the Vietnamese hastened to meet the demand in the regional market.
The magnitude of the trades has been revealed by the discovery of shipwrecks fully loaded with Vietnamese ceramics. The cargo of the Hoi An Hoards consisted primarily of dishes and bowls. Ewers and animal-shaped vessels, such as the present lot, were in short supply and were considered luxury commodities.
See a closely related dropper in the Portland Art Museum, Oregon, accession no. 2009.63.4
Vietnam, attributed to Hai Duong province, Chu Dau kilns, Water Dropper in the Form of a Puffer Fish, ca. 1480, stoneware with cobalt pigment under clear glaze, Gift of an Anonymous Donor, public domain, 2009.63.4, Portland Art Museum, Oregon
Sotheby's. A Scholarly Journey: The Tuyet Nguyet and Stephen Markbreiter Collection, Hong Kong, 17 December 2021
