Page 48 - Export Porcelain and Globakization- GOOD READ

Guangzhou, ports in the Vietnamese Red River Delta and ports of the Kingdom of
Champa in Southern Vietnam with India, Arab countries and Persia, was used for
trading ceramics – often with the assistance of Muslim merchants who had settled
along the coast. The presence of Muslim merchants in South China and Vietnam was
a major stimulus for the development of blue and white export porcelain in both
countries. During the Ming gap Vietnamese and Thai ceramics substituted Chinese
products especially in Indonesia and the Philippines, but also in Turkey and Japan.
Indonesia was the most important destination for Vietnamese ceramics.
A turning point in the development of Vietnamese ceramics was the Chinese
occupation in the early 15th century and the introduction of blue and white ware.
China occupied northern Vietnam for the period 1407-1428 and from that time Ming
style blue and white porcelains were made there. While showing strong similarities in
décor, Vietnamese bodies tended to be greyer and non-translucently glazed. The
products from Vietnam traded in the 15th century were mostly blue and white ware;
the most important piece dated 1450 is preserved in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul.
The unique combination of underglaze blue with overglaze red and green enamels
(see plate 185) was used mainly on plates but also on covered boxes which were
produced in underglaze blue en mass. The Hoi An shipwreck discovered in the 1990s
off the Vietnamese coastal city of Hoi An is the most important find of Vietnamese
ceramics of the late 15th century. During the 17th century Vietnamese ceramics were
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traded in South East Asia by the Dutch VOC , Japanese Red Seal ships and Chinese
merchants. By the middle of the century the Dutch were making regular sailings from
Batavia to the Japanese Dejima via Tonkin and South China, purchasing Vietnamese
ceramics on the return journey for sale in South East Asia. The favored ware for this
period was the highfooted rice bowl decorated in underglaze blue (plate 187).
Millions of pieces have been traded during the 17th century. The production of
Vietnamese blue and white porcelain and its trade in South East Asia came to an end
at the beginning of the 18th century when the Chinese returned to the market after
decades of war.
From the middle of the 18th to the end of the 19th century Vietnam became a big

importer of Chinese ceramics. So-called Bleu de Huéporcelain has been customized
both for the Vietnamese court and for wealthy clients. The rim of the cups and bowls
are in most cases protected by a metal band. In the 20th century Vietnam again
entered the export market, but continued to be influenced by Chinese ceramics.
Vietnamese potters from Lai Thieu, about 100 km north of Ho Chi Minh City, still
produce Sino-Vietnamese blue and white and overglaze enameled ware.
4.3 Thai and Burmese Ceramics
There are two old kiln centers in the former Thai Kingdom of Sukhothai. One
center is just north of the city wall, the other center is located some 60 km north of
Sukhothai in Si Satchanalai along the banks of the Yom River. The Sukhothai kilns
produced in the 14th century mainly underglaze iron (black) decorated stoneware,
such as plates with a fish motive. The city of Sukhothai is today one of the major
archaeological sites of South East Asia with approximately 100 brick temples with
beautiful stucco decoration and Buddha sculptures. The Thai Kingdom of Sukhothai
was founded in the mid-13th century and annexed by the Thai Kingdom of Ayutthaya
in 1438. Before the establishment of Sukhothai, the region was part of the Hindu
Khmer Kingdom of Angkor which can still be evidenced by the architectural style of
some of the temples in the old city of Sukhothai. People have been culturally
influenced also by Sri Lanka, and practices such as, in Sri Lanka and in nowadays
Cambodia, Theravada Buddhism.
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