This chiết yêu or “cinched waist” bowl dates to the sixteenth to seventeenth century and is attributed to the Mạc to Revival Lê period, possibly from the Chu Đậu kilns in Hải Dương Province. It is a small ceramic vessel with a flared rim, a gently narrowed waist, and a low foot, finished in a pale jade green celadon glaze and decorated with hand painted cobalt blue floral motifs; it weighs approximately 400 grams. The inward curve of the body gives the form its Vietnamese name, chiết yêu, meaning “cinched waist.” The bowl was used by the family of Bùi Thuần (1896-1948), in Trình Phố village, Kiến Xương District, Thái Bình Province. After 1954, when the family's house was requisitioned by the communist government, this bowl along with other selected heirlooms were saved by being moved to the Bùi ancestral hall. In 2005, Bùi Chiên, the eldest son of Bùi Thuần, retrieved two chiết yêu bowls and four plates for the family altar in Southern California. This bowl and one plate were later donated by Bùi Đức Uyên to the Vietnamese Heritage Museum for preservation and public display.
VHM_0057
Object donated to the Vietnamese Heritage Museum by Bùi Đức Uyên
Timeline
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"Chiết Yêu" bowl origin
16th–17th Century (Mạc–Lê Trung Hưng period)Based on stylistic features—celadon green glaze, cobalt blue hand-painted motifs, weight (~400g), and form—the bát chiết yêu and accompanying dish are attributed to Chu Đậu kilns (Hải Dương), a major ceramic center of the era.
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"Chiết Yêu" bowl preserved as family heirloom
19th–Mid 20th CenturyThe bowl and dish were preserved as family heirlooms within the household of Cụ Ông Bùi Thuần (1896–1948).
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"Chiết Yêu" bowl gets transferred to the Bùi ancestral hall
Post–1954After the communist government’s land reform, the family house was requisitioned. Surviving heirlooms, including tbe chiết yêu bowl, were relocated to the từ đường họ Bùi (Bùi family ancestral hall), which later became the shrine to Bùi Viện, the 19th-century reformer and diplomat.
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Repatriation of Bùi Family Heirlooms
2005Ông Bùi Chiên, the eldest son of Cụ Ông Bùi Thuần, returned to Trình Phố to perform a ritual at the ancestral hall, during which he reclaimed two bát chiết yêu and four ceramic dishes that had long been preserved there. He brought these heirlooms to the United States, where they continued to serve in ancestor worship.
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"Chiết Yêu" bowl donated to Vietnamese Heritage Museum
May 21, 2025Donated to the Vietnamese Heritage Museum by Ông Bùi Chiên, the eldest son of Cụ Ông Bùi Thuần.