Object Details
Provenance
Late 15th Century
Created in Red River Delta Kilns, likely at the village of Chu Dau, Hải Dương, Vietnam [1]
1997-1999
Excavated from Hoi An Hoard Shipwreck Site, on the coast of central Vietnam, in the South China Sea during marine archeological excavation, jointly sponsored by Ong Soo Hin (b. ca. 1950), Oxford University, and National History Museum of Vietnam, chief archeologist Mensun Bound (b. 1953), and managed by Frank Pope (b. 1973) [2]
1999-2000
Ministry of Culture, Vietnam; Vietnamese Salvage Agency (VISAL), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Saga Horizon, Singapore, jointly owned the excavated objects [3]
2000
Sale, San Francisco and Los Angeles, Butterfields, "Treasures from the Hoi An Hoard: Important Vietnamese Ceramics from a Late 15th/Early 16th Century Cargo," Session II, October 12, 2000, part of lot 1696 or 1697, unsold [4]
2000
Sale, San Francisco, Butterfields, "Fine Asian Works of Art: Including Treasures from the Hoi An Hoard," December 1-4, 2000, lot 6264 [5]
2000-2005
David P. Rehfuss (b. 1939), purchased from the Butterfields auction, December 3, 2000 [6]
From 2005
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of David P. Rehfuss August 2005 [7]
Notes:
[1] During the 15th and 16th centuries, the kilns of the Red River Delta were the principal production sites for Vietnam's export ceramic industry. For a discussion of how these kilns were identified as the source for the majority of ceramics recovered from the Hoi An Hoard Shipwreck Site, see Mensun Bound, "The Hoi An Wreck" in Butterfields, "Treasures from the Hoi An Hoard: Important Vietnamese Ceramics from a Late 15th/Early 16th Century Cargo," San Francisco and Los Angeles: October 11-13, 2000: XIV-XIX. See curatorial remark #2, which notes the likelihood that this ceramic vessel originated in the village of Chu Dau, Hải Dương, Vietnam.
[2] For the official archeological report, see Pham Quốc Quan and Tong Trung Tin, "Report on the Marine Excavation of the Cu Lao Cham Wreck, 1996-1999," Hanoi, Vietnam: Ha Noi Archive of the National Museum of Vietnamese History, 1999. See also Hoi An Hoard excavation sticker, affixed to the base of the cup, identifying the object as "88229."
[3] The Vietnamese government commissioned the project and tasked the Ministry of Culture with supervising the excavation. The Ministry of Culture, the Vietnamese Salvage Agency (VISAL), and the Saga Horizon divided profits from the Butterfields sale (see note 4). Part of these profits funded the study and exhibition of excavated cargo in Vietnam's National Collections. The National History Museum, Hanoi retained all unique pieces excavated at the wreck. Hundreds of recovered ceramics were distributed to regional Vietnamese museums. See Dessa Goddard, "Saleroom News: Butterfields San Francisco and Los Angeles, Treasures from the Hoi An Hoard on October 11-13, 2000" in Arts of Asia, Vol. 32, No. 2: 120.
[4] See Butterfields, "Treasures from the Hoi An Hoard: Important Vietnamese Ceramics from a Late 15th/Early 16th Century Cargo," Session II, San Francisco and Los Angeles, October 12, 2000, part of lot 1696 or 1697: 202. Lots 1696 and 1697 consisted of 40 nearly identical cups with matching glaze. This cup was part of one of those groupings.
[5] See Butterfields, "Fine Asian Works of Art: Including Treasures from the Hoi An Hoard," San Francisco, December 1-4, 2000, lot 6264: 48.
[6] See the Deed of Gift, signed December 12, 2005, copy in object file. David P. Rehfuss (b. 1939) was an officer of the American Foreign Service who had postings in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, and the Netherlands. While stationed in Indonesia he developed a deep passion for South and Southeast Asian ceramics. In 1985, with fellow Foreign Service officer, John Forbes, Rehfuss founded the Washington Oriental Ceramic Group.
[7] See the Deed of Gift, cited in note 6.
Researched Completed December 1, 2021
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History
Vietnamese Ceramics from the Red River Delta (July 10, 2005 to November 15, 2009)
Previous custodian or owner
David P. Rehfuss
Ong Soo Hin (born ca. 1950)
Oxford University Marine Archaeology Research Expedition (MARE)
Vietnam National Museum of History
Mensun Bound (born 1953)
Frank Pope (born 1973)
Ministry of Culture, Vietnam
Vietnamese Salvage Agency (VISAL)
Saga Horizon
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David P. Rehfuss
Date
late 15th century
Period
Later Le dynasty
Accession Number
F2005.6
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Type
Vessel
Medium
Stoneware with translucent iron glaze and with cobalt pigment under clear glaze; iron pigment on base
Dimensions
H x Diam (overall): 5.3 x 7.3 cm (2 1/16 x 2 7/8 in)
Style
Chu Dau ware
Origin
Chu Dau kilns, Hai Duong province, Vietnam
Related Online Resources
Ceramics in Mainland Southeast Asia
Google Arts & Culture
NMAA Southeast Asia
See more items in
National Museum of Asian Art
Data Source
National Museum of Asian Art
Topic
ceramic
wine
Vietnam
Later Le dynasty (1428 - 1527)
stoneware
brown and black glaze
Southeast Asian Art
Chu Dau ware
Link to Original Record
Record ID
fsg_F2005.6