Description
The production of underglaze blue pottery in Vietnam is thought to have begun in around the mid-14th century, through the influence of ceramics from Yuan dynasty China.
The Jingdezhen kilns of China were known for the pure white base of their blue and white pottery. Vietnamese examples differ in that they had white clay laid over a thick piece of grey-coloured material before being painted. In addition, whereas Chinese underglaze blue features clear, bright colours, the Vietnamese equivalent tends to have blues that are darker and more sombre.
The centre of this dish features a dynamic image of a deer painted in flowing, spontaneous brushstrokes. The powerful, warm simplicity has a charm that differs from that of Chinese underglaze blue ceramics.
This famous dish is one masterpiece of Southeast Asian pottery collected by Okano Shigezo, a Japanese man who built a successful business in Indonesia in the early 20th century.
The dynamic depiction of the deer represents the skills of the artisan. The bold brushwork creates a lively feel, with the gradated pigments reminiscent of ink paintings.
Data source
ColBase
"ColBase: Integrated Collections Database of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan" is a service that enables a multi-database search of the collections in the four national museums (To...
Contents holder/Provider
Aggregator
National Institutes for Cultural Heritage
The National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH) comprise four National Museums (Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto National Museum, Nara National Museum, and Kyushu National Museum) and two National Research Institutes for Cultural Properties (Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, and Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties), as well as the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI) in Sakai City, for a total of seven institutions.
Last updated
March 30, 2026