This jar has generally been classified as Vietnamese because of its brown glaze, as ceramics covered with this type of glaze were made in some number in that part of mainland Southeast Asia. The sketchy flowers and leaves incised underneath the glaze, however, do not commonly appear on other examples of early Vietnamese ceramics, most of which are believed to have been produced in northern Vietnam. In addition, works from northern Vietnam have heavier bodies and thicker glazes than this jar. Shards discovered in 1974 near the unexcavated kiln site at Go-Sanh and nearby villages in central Vietnam, though, provide interesting parallels to this jar's body and decorative method. Very thinly potted stonewares with reddish bodies and translucent caramel-colored glazes--both of which this jar shares--were among the type of ceramics found at Go-Sanh. Some of these ceramics also have very indistinct decoration that parallels the sketchy flowers incised here.

These parallels suggest that the jar may be an example of ceramics produced in central rather than northern Vietnam. From about the 3rd century to 1471, this area was controlled by the kingdom of Champa, one of the most important but little-studied kingdoms in the history of mainland Southeast Asia. The strategic location of Champa along the southeastern Vietnamese coast made it an important component of the trade in luxury goods that linked mainland Southeast Asia with the islands of Indonesia, China, and other parts of the world from at least the 8th century onward. Ceramics similar to fragments found at Go-Sanh have been found in the Philippines and Indonesia, linking this kiln site to international trade; they are also known to have been treasured family heirlooms, passing through generations as ritual objects in some areas of Southeast Asia.