Ming Dynasty, 15th-16th century AD. A ceramic blue and white lidded powder box, painted with scrolled tendrils and diamond-shaped panels, the lid with a floral motif; the shipwreck identification stickers to the base. 99 grams total, 66mm (2 1/2"). From the property of a London gentleman; formerly in a UK collection, acquired in the 1990s. The Hoi An shipwreck sank in the late 15th-early 16th century. The ceramics that sank with the ship were from the Hai Duong province (North Vietnam), which was known as the biggest production centre of ceramics and porcelain from medieval Vietnam. At that time, the Ming dynasty in China decreed a ban on maritime exports to Southeast Asia and other countries, leaving the opportunity for Vietnam to foster its ceramics and porcelain production. Ceramics from the Hoi An Hoard are considered to be known as the most precious and complete representation of Vietnamese artisanship in glazed ceramics. They are far rarer than their Chinese counterparts, from Tek Sing. [No Reserve]