Vietnamese ceramics were largely made in kilns in northern Vietnam around Hanoi in places like Lang-son and Thanh-hoa. They were largely Chinese influenced since in the earlier centuries Vietnam was a vassal state which the Chinese called Annam, meaning pacified south. In the 14th century, Vietnamese ware decorated in underglazed iron-brown began to enter the barter trade of Southeast Asia. These were mainly dish, sauces, bowls and covered boxes with basically standard decoration of a chrysanthemum spray in the centre medallion and a debased classic scroll on the rim. Later they produced underglaze blue, but were generally of a paler blue compared to the Chinese blue-white. Other rarer export ware are brown glazed, apple-green, and tricolor ware shown below.
In the 15-16th century, the Vietnamese also produced beautiful honey-brown glazed jars with ring handles and also large dishes of underglaze blue with floral and fish paintings (see top 2 photos below). These are rare and therefore prized by collectors.
Note: the large "fish" dish shown below purchased during my early acquisitions unfortunately turned out to be a very good copy. I have called it Fredo's Folly, a reminder not to be over anxious when buying a rare piece because it was at a bargain price. My advice is to consult a couple of experts before making an expensive purchase.
