Fragment de brique estampée

After the rebellion of the Trưng Sisters in 40-42 AD, China placed the north of Vietnam under more direct administrative control. The new mode of burial in large brick vaults introduced by the Chinese colonists progressively replaced the simpler graves of the Đông Sơn culture. Yet remnants of Đông Sơn decorative motifs still appear stamped on some bricks. This one features three concentric circles around a dot. A line extends from these circles to which four other dotted circles and two hearts are attached.
This type of stamped decoration did not exist in central China, which suggests that these tombs were not necessarily those of Chinese colonists come to administrate the region but may have been those of native notabilities, who not only imitated the customs of their powerful neighbours of the north but also sought to assimilate them by adapting them to their culture.