Two containers with handles

Description

These two terracotta vessels, whose glaze is cream to brown, are dated to the An Nam period. The smaller vessel shows some green glaze, which is obviously unintentional. These particular details bring dynamism and modernity to this thousand-year-old piece. These objects are decorated only with fine horizontal incisions, thus underlining the purity of their form. The geometric handles also give a modern look to these two pieces.

The An Nam period was marked by the Chinese occupation, which led to numerous popular rebellions. Nevertheless, this period of cultural assimilation greatly favoured the development of the ceramic industry, notably thanks to the technical know-how brought by the Chinese. The recuperation of their funerary practices, in which ceramics played a fundamental role, also led to an unprecedented development of ceramics.

These pieces come from a Belgian family collection, which began in the 1940s and has been augmented with various pieces over the years.