Hizen porcelain exported to Southeast Asia

At the invitation of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, on March 19, 2012, Professor Kikuchi Seiichi (President of the Southeast Asian Archaeological Association) and Professor Ohashi Koji (Showa Women's University, Japan) visited and gave a presentation at the University.During the meeting, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Kim emphasized the contributions of Japanese researchers in the research and preservation of Vietnamese heritage, especially the heritage of Hoi An and the Ho Dynasty Citadel (two world cultural heritages of Vietnam). The leaders of the University expressed their deep gratitude to the Japanese experts for their close and effective collaboration with the University's scientists over the years, and hoped that in the coming time, Japanese researchers would continue to promote cooperation with the University and Vietnamese researchers in the research of Vietnamese cultural heritage, especially in the fields of marine research, port history, etc. After the meeting with the leaders of the University, Professor Ohashi Koji - Japan's leading expert in the field of ceramic research - gave a presentation at the Museum of Anthropology on the issue of "Hizen ceramics exported to Southeast Asia". Attending the presentation were nearly 40 lecturers, researchers, postgraduates, graduate students and students from the Faculty of History, Oriental Studies, Museum of Anthropology (USSH), Institute of Archaeology,... The content of the presentation helped researchers and students better understand the development and export process of Japanese Hizen pottery as well as the historical and political context of Japan and the region that affected the situation of ceramic exports and Asian trade in the period from the 16th to the 18th centuries. There were more than 3 million Hizen ceramic specimens exported to Southeast Asia and Europe in the period from the 17th to the 18th centuries. The types of exported Hizen ceramics were quite diverse, including pots, bowls, plates, vases, cups, glasses, jars, etc. In particular, some types of Hizen ceramics were made to order from the West, often with different designs and patterns compared to products exported to Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, Hizen ceramics have been discovered in locations such as Hoi An, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Muong tombs in Dong Thech (Hoa Binh), Bao Loc (Lam Dong), etc. Professor Ohashi's presentation is a typical example for students to learn about how to use interdisciplinary methods in the field of archaeology to exploit and interpret archaeological documents to clarify issues of political history, economics, trade, etc.