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A tall pale green bottle that curves outward at the top, decorated with a botanical design

In an inverted tulip shape, the bottle bulges outward at the top, and starts to narrow at its mid-section, before flaring out slightly at its base. The side is fluted, dividing it into segments similar to flower petals. The surface is glazed in a pale green that is covered in a network of fine cracks throughout. Each segment is decorated with a flowering plant or a branch drawn in thin darker green lines, that begin in the lower third and reach almost to the top. There is a decorative border around the base and also at the top, around the ridge that flares out around the narrow opening.

Gallery Text

Koryŏ Celadon

Celadon is a term that originated in Europe; in Korea, it is called ch’ŏngja, or “green ware.” Produced primarily for the royal court and elite class, Koryŏ celadon was prized in China, where celadon was first manufactured, and coveted and collected in Japan.

Inlaid celadon was a major Korean innovation: the design was carved into the surface and filled with slip, creating white and/or black patterns under the green glaze. An elegant and subtle color palette and decoration characterize the best of Koryŏ celadon.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1919.205
Title
Bottle (maebyŏng) with Design of Flowering and Fruiting Branches
Classification
Vessels
Work Type
vessel
Date
mid 12th century
Places
Creation Place: East Asia, Korea
Period
Koryŏ dynasty, 918-1392
Culture
Korean
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/303831

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Stoneware with celadon glaze over incised decoration
Technique
Celadon
Dimensions
H. 21.3 x Diam. 14.2 cm (8 3/8 x 5 9/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Hervey E. Wetzel (1988-1918), Boston, MA (by 1919), bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1919.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Hervey E. Wetzel
Accession Year
1919
Object Number
1919.205
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Publication History

  • Lorraine d'Oremieulx Warner, Korai Celadon in America, Eastern Art, College Art Association of America (Philadelphia, 1930), vol. II, p. 40, pl. XXII, fig. 7
  • Robert P. Griffing, Jr., The Art of the Korean Potter; Silla, Koryô, Yi, exh. cat., Asia Society Museum (New York, NY, 1968), p. 81, no. 44; p. 122, no. 44
  • Edward B. Adams, Korea's Pottery Heritage, Volume II, Seoul International Publishing House (Seoul, Korea, 1989), p. 100, pl. 116; p. 114, no. 116
  • James Cuno, Alvin L. Clark, Jr., Ivan Gaskell, and William W. Robinson, Harvard's Art Museums: 100 Years of Collecting, ed. James Cuno, Harvard University Art Museums and Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (Cambridge, MA, 1996), pp. 66-67
  • Masterpieces of world art : Fogg Art Museum, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Busch-Reisinger Museum, 1997
  • Stephan Wolohojian and Alvin L. Clark, Jr., Harvard Art Museum/ Handbook, ed. Stephan Wolohojian, Harvard Art Museum (Cambridge, 2008), p. 41
  • Christian Boehm, Korean Celadon and Buncheong Ware in the Harvard Art Museums, Arts of Asia (Hong Kong, Autumn 2023), pp. 106-, pp. 108, 110, fig. 9

Exhibition History

  • Art of the Korean Potter, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, 10/01/1968 - 11/15/1968
  • Masterworks of East Asian Painting, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 11/03/1995 - 06/09/1996
  • Plum, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, and Bamboo: Botanical Motifs and Symbols in East Asian Painting, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 07/06/2002 - 01/05/2003
  • Forging the New: East Asian Painting in the Twentieth Century, Harvard University Art Museums, Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 05/03/2005 - 10/16/2005
  • Re-View: S228-230 Arts of Asia, Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Cambridge, 05/31/2008 - 06/01/2013
  • 32Q: 2600 East Asian, Japanese, Chinese and Korean, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 12/03/2015 - 12/01/2016

Subjects and Contexts

  • ReFrame
  • Google Art Project
  • Collection Highlights

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu