An exhibition of Vietnamese ceramics spanning 1,000 years and several dynasties has opened at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum.
Ngan Nam Gom Viet (A Thousand Years of Vietnamese Ceramics) features 260 artefacts that traces the development of national traditional ceramics during the reigns of the Ly, Tran, Earlier Le, Mac, Le Trung Hung (Later Le), and Nguyen dynasties.
The Ly and Tran dynasties, who reigned from the 11th to 15th century, were famous for jade-glazed bowls and tea pots, and glaze ceramics produced in different shades including green, white and brown.
The traditional vocation flourishes to this day in the craft villages of Bat Trang and Phu Lang in Hanoi and Bac Ninh Province, respectively.
White-and-blue glazed ceramics having a high, brown base with underglazed cobalt floral decorations were produced from the 15th to 18th century during the Le Dynasty as well as the Mac and Le Trung Hung dynasties.
The Nguyen Dynasty in 19th and 20th century, the last of the feudal rulers in Vietnam, saw the development of Vietnamese ceramics in southern region.
Lai Thieu in Binh Duong Province, Bien Hoa in Dong Nai Province and Cay Mai in HCMC’s Cho Lon (Big Market) emerged as famous centres of ceramic production.
The exhibition is being organised by the HCMC Museum, Vietnam History Museum in HCMC, HCMC Fine Arts Museum, Southern Women's Museum, HCMC Antiques Association and private collectors to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Hanoi.