Who made this Ewer?
The Vietnamese artist who created this ewer remains unknown, but they must have been interested in earlier Chinese ceramics. The ewer's white background with cobalt blue decorations was inspired by the porcelain made in China before the "Ming Gap." Birds can symbolize beauty, dignity, and peace, themes that the creator of this object must have had in mind when shaping this ewer. The imagery of birds was present in diverse arts during the 1500s. The image of a parrot is very specific to Vietnamese iconography, and thus is a departure from Chinese artistic tradition. See the "Ewer in the Form of a Phoenix" for comparison.
Erica Belden, Class of 2026, College of the Holy Cross
