Fragment of an underglaze cobalt-blue-painted wall tile

Detail of a pattern
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At A Glance

  • Period

    15th-16th century
  • Geography

    Red River Delta kilns, Hai Duong province, Vietnam
  • Material

    Stoneware with cobalt pigment under clear glaze
  • Dimension

    H x W x D: 3.1 x 10.2 x 10.1 cm (1 1/4 x 4 x 4 in)
  • Accession Number

    FSC-P-431
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_FSC-P-431

Object Details

  • Description

    Shape: Mold-formed, hollow wall-tile fragment, probably architectural.
    Clay: The body is a very fine clay, light buff in color, having many small and several large air pockets. There are very few inclusions.
    Glaze: The body is covered with a crackled glaze over the cobalt-blue painted decoration. It is not clear whether there is a slip below the cobalt painting or whether the milky white background color is imparted by the glaze itself. The bubbly, translucent glaze covers the sides and top of the tile.
    Decoration: Underglaze cobalt-blue painting of good quality. The design consists of geometric borders conforming to the physical shape of the tile. These enclose freely painted vegetal decoration, only small remnants of which remain.
    Marks: None.
  • Provenance

    To 1957
    Abu Ridho, Jakarta, Indonesia. [1]
    1957
    John A. Pope (1906-1982), Washington DC, gift of Abu Ridho, Jakarta, Indonesia. [2]
    From 1957
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of John A. Pope, Washington DC [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See Curatorial Remarks 1 and 2 in the object record.
    [2] See note 1.
    [3] See note 1. See also object file, Collections Management Office.
  • Collection

    Freer Study Collection
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Abu Ridho (born 1927)
    Dr. John Alexander Pope (1906-1982)
  • Origin

    Red River Delta kilns, Hai Duong province, Vietnam
  • Credit Line

    Gift of John A. Pope
  • Type

    Architectural Element
  • Restrictions and Rights

    Usage Conditions Apply

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