A fine rectangular lacquer panel depicting a traditional tonkinese coastal landscape at dusk. the composition features a laborer in a conical hat (nón lá) carrying a yoke on the shoreline, with two tethered sampans floating on the water in the middle ground. The scene is framed by the sweeping fronds of a palm tree in the upper right. the artist utilizes the sophisticated sơn mài technique, employing layered polychrome lacquer to create depth and atmosphere. notable is the extensive use of eggshell inlay (khảm vỏ trứng) to render the bright white of the laborer’s clothing, the sampan covers, and the shimmering reflections of light on the water's surface.
olychrome lacquer on wood panel with crushed eggshell inlays.

This panel is a representative example of the mid-century "renaissance" of vietnamese lacquer arts, heavily influenced by the curriculum of the école des beaux-arts de l'indochine in hanoi. the transition from traditional decorative craft to fine art painting is evident in the naturalistic perspective and the atmospheric rendering of the sky. the labor-intensive process of inlaying tiny fragments of eggshell to create tonal gradients became a hallmark of the finest workshops during this period, such as those of thanh lễ or trần hà, though the lack of a signature suggests it originated from an exceptionally skilled independent atelier.
H: 20 cm

L: 30 cm

French Private Collection