A Chinese blue and white 'Bleu de Hue' bowl from a royal mission for the Vietnamese market, Tân Sửu 辛丑 mark, dated 1841

Dia.: 15 cm - H.: 7,5 cm

Vietnamese courts sent envoys to China to enhances the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Besides the diplomatic missions, these envoys also went to ceramic kilns in China to commission high quality porcelain, bringing it back to Vietnam for the needs of the Vietnamese courts. The mandarins ordered the year marks on the base as a souvenir token of their once-in-a-life embassy on the occasion of the journey to the Chinese emperor.  The year dates are related to the year of embassy yourney. These year-marked pieces are historical documents and only a very small number are known to exist.

The Tân Sửu (辛丑) mark in 1841 is related to two embassies the same year - dispatched to the Chineses emperor for these reasons:

1. King Minh Mạng died 20 January 1841. Immediate delegation sent to the Chinese emperor to report the king's death and the introduction of his eldest son, who had been crown prince for 34 years, to become successor under the dynastic name Thiệu Trị (紹治). This first embassy delegation was led by embassador Lý Văn Phức (李文馥).

2. Second embassy sent out the same year from Hue to the Chinese emperor led by ambassador Hoàng Tế Mỹ. Subject to be negotiated was the country's name (Đại Nam).

Provenance:
- The collection of Dr. Claus Vollers, German Embassador in Vietnam, 1981-84.
- The collection of Thomas Ulbrich, Studio Tho, Hanoi-Berlin, acquired from the above.

Condition: (UV-checked)
- Some superficial wear to the glaze.
- Two filled chips of ca. 2-4 mm to the rim.

品相報告：（已用紫外線光檢查）
- 碗的釉面正面磨損痕跡。
- 碗口沿兩個約2至4毫米的被修補的飛皮。