Fine Pottery

 I already mentioned the antique shop in Hanoi where we saw the jade chariot.  When the owner saw how appreciative we were of the treasures in his store, he insisted on showing us everything.
This urn is just one of the exquisite objects he had for sale.  Since I am an amateur potter, several lightyears behind the skill manifest here, I appreciate what I am seeing.
Vietnam was ruled by China for a thousand years, and every Vietnamese person we could speak to insisted on Vietnamese national and cultural independence, but without Chinese influence, would we have seen such a treasure in Hanoi?

 In Hoi An, we walked into a souvenir shop, looking for something else, and saw these plates and cups.
As near as we could understand from the shop owner's English, these plates were found in the river mud.
Hoi An was an important harbor, with large expatriate trading communities, until the river silted up, and this pottery is evidence of the former trade.

The shop owner knew very well how valuable these plates were, and the prices were not low, but how could we resist buying a little saucer?