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A Vietnamese blue and white round “box” from the very late 15th to early 16th Century. Ming Period. Typical of the cobalt decorated blue and white wares from Hai Doung Province in northern Vietnam, this small round box has graceful rounded walls, a circular lid and slightly raised footrim. The lid features a floral and foliage motif in a circular medallion with a decorated margin. The body is embellished in vertical registers of alternating geometric and foliage design which extend to the sides of the matching lid which are both original to each other. This box is in very good condition with only original kiln flaws and no cracks or significant chips. The inside raised lip is completely intact. There are only tiny silvery-irridescent colored dots of degradation from age to the original cobalt decoration and possible very minor frits to the underside of the unglazed lip which are greatly exaggerated in the enlarged photographs. The actual box is only 4.5cm (1-3/4”) high and weighs 106 grams (3.7 ounces). The unglazed underside and inside lip reveal a body of high-quality, levigated white clay of uniform color. The interior was smoothed with a thin layer of blueish-green slip which has a slight, acquired and desireable craquelare owing to its approximate 500 years of age.
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