A Chinese blue and white 'Bleu de Hue' lime pot for the Vietnamese market, artemisia leaf mark, 19th C.

H.: 18 cm (incl. handle)

These lime pots were used to heat lime (chalk), a necessary ingredient in the preparation of betel, which the Vietnamese population used to chew since ancient times. The opening visible on the top of the body allowed the lime to be taken out with a spatula. The handle is similar to a betel vine, thus linking the object to its function. The lime pot symbolised the home and occupied a central place in the social life of the household. According to tradition, if the lime pot was broken, it would bring bad luck. This fundamental object in Vietnamese culture was placed on the altar of the family, the village or the pagoda.