Vietnamese Bleu de Hue Porcelain Blooming Lotus Rice Bowl W/Metal Rim Marked "Jade Trinket" (From a Vietnamese Royal Family) - This porcelain rice bowl is elaborately decorated in vivid underglazed blue with two ducks swimming in a pond around flowering lotus blossoms. The interior of the bowl is left undecorated, and the base bears the two character "Ngoan ngoc" marking meaning "jade trinket", which was used for the princes, princesses and other with lower ranks who lived inside the palace. The bowl is finished with a metal rim, as selected vessels were finished with rims of silver as early as the Han dynasty to set them apart from the ordinary and to make them suitable for high class clients. This very high quality porcelain was ordered from China for the court use. Although Chinese artisans executed the painting, Vietnamese rulers dictated the designs. Each ruler ordered ceramics of his own liking for use in his court, as well as presentation pieces to give to members of royal families and mandarin officials. This piece comes from the estate of a Vietnamese Royal Family (the family now lives in the United States, and wishes to remain private as they still have relatives living in Vietnam). This piece has excellent investment potential, as it is thought by experts around the world and avid collectors that due to the rapid modernization of Vietnam, Vietnamese antiques will within the next ten years be more valuable than Chinese antiques. According to some of the most expert collectors in the world, what used to sell for hundreds are now selling for tens of thousands. Measurements: 2.25"H x 4.75" diameter.