Water Dropper in the Shape of Two Mandarin Ducks

About the Art

Aesthetic tastes are often intertwined with economics, politics and trade. From about 1300, Chinese porcelain decorated with cobalt blue was a popular product exported across Asia, the Middle East and eventually the globe (the cobalt itself was often imported to China from the Middle East). Blue-and-white ceramic technology entered Vietnam during China’s annexation of the area from 1407–1428. In turn, Vietnam became a major producer of blue-and-white decorated ceramics when China temporarily stopped its own exports during the mid-1400s.

FEATURED IMAGE
Artist(s) unknown (Vietnam, Later Le dynasty, 1428–1527), Water Dropper in the Shape of Two Mandarin Ducks, 15th–16th century, stoneware painted with cobalt blue under transparent glaze, 4 7/8 x 4 1/4 x 3 3/4 inches (12.4 x 10.8 x 9.5 cm). Gift of Mrs. Virginia Kettering, 1978.125