Chinese Blue and White Dish, Sotheby's

18th C., Ca Mau Shipwreck c.1725, the shallow rounded sides rising from a short foot, each well-painted in soft shades of blue to the interior with sprays of flowers, a central floral medallion enclosed by a double circle, all enclosed within a band beneath the everted rim, the exterior coated in a rich brown glaze, the base glazed white. Diameter 4 1/4 in. Provenance: Made in Imperial China, Chinese Export Porcelain from the Ca Mau shipwreck, circa 1725. Sotheby's Amsterdam, 29, 30 & 31 January 2007 sale. The Ca Mau shipwreck was discovered by fishermen working of the Ca Mau peninsular when their nets snagged on it. When they realized the porcelain was saleable they began dredging up as much as possible. Once the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture and Information realized what was happening they moved in quickly to secure the wreck site. The excavation was lead by the Curator of The National Museum of Vietnamese culture. .