A ‘BLEU DE HUÉ’ PORCELAIN BOWL, ‘NỘI PHỦ THỊ NAM’ MARK China for Vietnam, 18th century. Finely painted in shades of cobalt-blue with a lotus pond, large blossoms, pods, leaves rising from the water, and two small crabs. D: 17.5cm The Les nội phủ thị nam 內府侍南 (Inner Palace, South Enclosure) is a secondary palace built by Trinh Sâm in the year 1775 in the south of Thang Long. The Annals mention a celebration held for its inauguration in 1776. For this occasion, Trinh Sâm commissioned tableware from China decorated with crabs and lotus or crickets and lotus.

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