This bowl with lid is an excellent example of blue-and-white porcelain produced at Haeju, Hwanghae province in North Korea in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries. The brushwork and the imperfection in the clay and glaze are characteristic of Haeju ceramics, created at folk kilns for daily use by common people. Haeju ware is named after Haeju, a port located on the west coast of the Korea peninsula. It has a long history of trading with China and other Asian countries. Haeju is known for a type of porcelain decorated with cobalt blue. Haeju kilin ware flourished from the late 19th century through the early 20th century. - by Li Jian, Asian art curator at VMFA