Lidded jar

By the time these jars were made Vietnam had thrown off the Chinese political domination of earlier centuries and was ruled by local dynasties. The Vietnamese created vigorous and tactile ceramic wares like these large jars, of a character quite distinct from Chinese ceramics. Potters experimented freely, drawing inspiration from a variety of sources.

The shape of the bottom jar, with lobes outlined by rounded rectangular frames, and raised decoration of lotus petals strongly suggests a metalwork prototype. These forms may derive from the gold- and silverwork of Vietnam’s southern neighbor, the Hindu-Buddhist territory of Champa. The jar’s feet are in the form of crouching human figures.