Nature revisited by Vietnamese potters

Conference by Philippe Truong, independent researcher, specialist in Vietnamese ceramics.

Nature is omnipresent in Vietnamese ceramics both in the raw materials and in the sources of inspiration. This influence is perceptible through the choice of the color of the glazes (ivory white, brown, yellowish green, etc.), the shapes (lotus, jug with an elephant's head spout, jug in the shape of a parrot, etc.) as well than the decorations.

The motifs chosen always carry a powerful symbolic value, essentially in reference to the nationalist spirit (to the country's history and the struggles for independence), but also to Sino-Vietnamese culture. They are treated naturally and rarely stylized as in China, with the exception of pieces intended for export.

Reading these decorations allows us to better grasp the soul of the Viet people.