Around the beginning of the 20th century, the Lai Thieu region of Binh Duong Province emerged as South-East Asia’s central ceramics market due to its accessibility by both by land and river.
Museum director Nguyen Thi Duc said that some of the items were so rare that she had never seen anything similar. She said that they combined naturalism, convenience and aesthetics and contained the spirit of southern Vietnamese artisans.
The items are divided into categories such as ornamental pieces, statues, lamps, flower pots, bowls and plates. Some were more elaborately designed as gifts for ceremonies such as weddings and longevity celebrations.
Collector Truong Ngoc Tuong said that the images painted on these items came from interesting legends. One of the plates has an image of a fish and a peach which represents prosperity and longevity while another plate has an image of a rooster next to a banana tree which represents a hero and beauty.
Collector Nguyen Anh Kiet said Lai Thieu pottery included small items balm boxes and jars for snake elixir and medicine.
On this occasion, the museum, in collaboration with collectors and experts, has published a book in Vietnamese with over 100 pages on Lai Thieu pottery
Source: Saigontimes
