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Historical Korean Ceramics | 한국 고도자 

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This collection surveys the profound aesthetic and technological evolution of the Korean peninsula’s kilns, spanning from the proto-celadons of the Unified Silla transition through the zenith of the Goryeo (918–1392) and Joseon (1392–1897) dynasties. The holdings trace the historical lineage of Korean ceramic art: the serene translucency of Goryeo inlaid celadon (sanggam cheongja / 상감 청자), the tactile, expressive vitality of early Joseon slip-decorated stoneware (buncheong sagi / 분청사기), and the austere, Confucian elegance of later white porcelain (baekja / 백자). Rooted in organic asymmetry and a deep reverence for natural materials, these historical vessels reflect a ceramic philosophy that fundamentally shaped East Asian material culture.

White Porcelain Moon Jar (Dalhangari / 달항아리)

White Porcelain Moon Jar (Dalhangari / 달항아리)

  • Object Number: # KCV452

  • Title: White Porcelain Moon Jar (Dalhangari / 달항아리)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Late Joseon Dynasty

  • Date: 18th–19th Century

  • Materials: Porcelain, clear feldspathic glaze

  • Style or Ware: Joseon White Porcelain (Baekja / 백자)

  • Dimensions: - D: 27.0 cm H: 28.0 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A full-bodied white porcelain storage jar of spherical "moon jar" (dalhangari) form, constructed by luting two hemispherical bowls at the midsection. The vessel is coated in a milky, translucent glaze displaying the subtle organic asymmetry characteristic of late Joseon royal and provincial aesthetics.

  • Note:

Stamped Slip-Inlaid Buncheong Jar (Inhwa Buncheong Ho / 인화 분청 호)

Stamped Slip-Inlaid Buncheong Jar (Inhwa Buncheong Ho / 인화 분청 호)

  • Object Number: # KCV494

  • Title: Stamped Slip-Inlaid Buncheong Jar (Inhwa Buncheong Ho / 인화 분청 호)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Early Joseon Dynasty

  • Date: 15th Century

  • Materials: Stoneware, white slip, transparent feldspathic glaze

  • Style or Ware: Buncheong Ware (Buncheong Sagi / 분청사기)

  • Dimensions: - D: 17.0 cm H: 18.0 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A wide-mouthed stoneware storage jar (ho) exemplifying the 15th-century inhwa (stamped slip-inlay) technique. The exterior displays horizontal registers of the seungnyeom-mun (rope curtain) pattern framing a central band of stamped chrysanthemum heads (gukhwa-mun). The unglazed foot exhibits characteristic iron oxidation.

  • Note: Accompanied by a wooden storage box. In Japanese tea (chanoyu) scholarship, this decorative typology is classified as Koyomi-de Mishima ("almanac-style" Mishima).

  • Inlaid Celadon Bowl with Crane and Paired Bird Motif (Sanggam Cheongja Unhak Ssangjo-mun Bal / 상감 청자 운학 쌍조문 발)

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Inlaid Celadon Bowl with Crane and Paired Bird Motif (Sanggam Cheongja Unhak Ssangjo-mun B

  • Object Number: # KCB229

  • Title: Inlaid Celadon Bowl with Crane and Paired Bird Motif (Sanggam Cheongja Unhak Ssangjo-mun Bal / 상감 청자 운학 쌍조문 발)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Late Goryeo Dynasty

  • Date: Late 13th–14th Century

  • Materials: Stoneware, black and white slip inlay, celadon glaze

  • Style or Ware: Inlaid Celadon (Sanggam Cheongja / 상감 청자)

  • Dimensions: - D: 17.4 cm H: 6.8 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A conical stoneware bowl decorated in the sanggam (slip-inlay) technique. The interior well features a medallion enclosing a paired bird motif (ssangjo-mun) surrounded by flying cranes (hak) amidst stylized clouds (un). The exterior displays inlaid chrysanthemum roundels beneath a greyish-olive celadon glaze with fine network crackle (bingyeol).

  • Note: The base retains three silica spur marks (gyuseok-batchim).

Black-Glazed Stoneware Small Jar (Heugyu-ho / 흑유호)

Black-Glazed Stoneware Small Jar (Heugyu-ho / 흑유호)

  • Object Number: # KCV546

  • Title: Black-Glazed Stoneware Small Jar (Heugyu-ho / 흑유호)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Joseon Dynasty

  • Date: 16th Century

  • Materials: Stoneware, iron-rich black glaze

  • Style or Ware: Black-Glazed Ware (Heugyu / 흑유)

  • Dimensions: - D: 13.0 cm H: 10.0 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A compact, globular stoneware jar featuring a short, everted rim and stable foot ring. The exterior is enveloped in a lustrous, iron-saturated black glaze (heugyu) that terminates unevenly above the base, exposing the dense,dark-grey stoneware clay body.

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Transitional Inlaid Celadon Bowl (Sanggam Cheongja Un-mun Bal / 상감 청자 운문 발)

Transitional Inlaid Celadon Bowl (Sanggam Cheongja Un-mun Bal / 상감 청자 운문 발)

  • Object Number: # KCB586

  • Title: Transitional Inlaid Celadon Bowl (Sanggam Cheongja Un-mun Bal / 상감 청자 운문 발)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Late Goryeo to Early Joseon Transition

  • Date: 14th Century

  • Materials: Stoneware, white slip inlay, celadon glaze

  • Style or Ware: Transitional Inlaid Celadon (Sanggam Cheongja / 상감 청자)

  • Dimensions: -D: 18.3cm H: 6.5cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A 14th-century stoneware bowl marking the stylistic transition from late Goryeo inlaid celadon to the early Joseon buncheong tradition. The shallow profile features sanggam (slip-inlay) decoration depicting stylized cloud motifs (un-mun) beneath a subdued, oxidized celadon glaze.

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PERSIA - Iznik style vase

Inlaid Celadon Bowl with Pomegranate Motif (Sanggam Cheongja Seongnyu-mun Bal _ 상감 청자 석류문

  • Object Number: #

  • Title: Inlaid Celadon Bowl with Pomegranate Motif (Sanggam Cheongja Seongnyu-mun Bal / 상감 청자 석류문 발)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Goryeo Dynasty

  • Date: 12th–13th Century

  • Materials: Stoneware, black and white slip inlay, celadon glaze

  • Style or Ware: Inlaid Celadon (Sanggam Cheongja / 상감 청자)

  • Dimensions: - D: 20.8 cm H: 9.5 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A flared stoneware bowl decorated in the traditional sanggam (slip-inlay) technique with pomegranate (seongnyu) and chrysanthemum motifs beneath a translucent celadon glaze.

  • Note: Accompanied by an antique wooden storage box.

Early Celadon Ash-Glazed Bottle (Chogi Cheongja Byeong / 초기 청자 병)

Early Celadon Ash-Glazed Bottle (Chogi Cheongja Byeong / 초기 청자 병)

  • Object Number: # KCV554

  • Title: Early Celadon Ash-Glazed Bottle (Chogi Cheongja Byeong / 초기 청자 병)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Late Unified Silla to Early Goryeo Transition

  • Date: 9th–11th Century

  • Materials: Stoneware, natural ash-celadon glaze

  • Style or Ware: Early Proto-Celadon (Chogi Cheongja / 초기 청자)

  • Dimensions: - D: 15.0 cm H: 23.0 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A robust transitional stoneware bottle (byeong) representing an early proto-form of the classic maebyeong.The vessel features a broad-shouldered ovoid profile, short neck, and an unglazed flat base (pyeongjeo), correlating in form and glaze chemistry with early southwestern kiln sites such as Gurim-ri.

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Irabo-Type Tea Bowl (Irabo Chawan / 이라보 다완)

Irabo-Type Tea Bowl (Irabo Chawan / 이라보 다완)

  • Object Number: # KCB435

  • Title: Irabo-Type Tea Bowl (Irabo Chawan / 이라보 다완)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Mid-to-Late Joseon Dynasty

  • Date: 17th–18th Century

  • Materials: Ferruginous stoneware, amber-green ash glaze

  • Style or Ware: Joseon Stoneware / Irabo Ware

  • Dimensions: - D: 14.5 cm H: 6.4 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A tactile, slightly asymmetrical stoneware bowl potted from coarse, iron-rich clay with sandy inclusions. The surface displays brisk throwing rings coated in a thin, oxidized yellowish-brown ash glaze, imparting the gritty texture characteristic of Irabo ware.

  • Note: Accompanied by a wooden storage box (tomobako). Produced at provincial Korean kilns during the Joseon period and highly prized in Japan for use in the wabi-cha tea ceremony.

Early Joseon Celadon Bowl with Kintsugi Repair (Joseon Cheongja Bal / 조선 청자 발)

Early Joseon Celadon Bowl with Kintsugi Repair (Joseon Cheongja Bal / 조선 청자 발)

  • Object Number: # KCB73

  • Title: Early Joseon Celadon Bowl with Kintsugi Repair (Joseon Cheongja Bal / 조선 청자 발)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Early Joseon Dynasty

  • Date: Circa 1450 (15th Century)

  • Materials: Stoneware, celadon glaze, antique gold lacquer repair (kintsugi)

  • Style or Ware: Early Joseon Celadon (Joseon Cheongja / 조선 청자)

  • Dimensions: - D: 15.5 cm H: 8.8 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A 15th-century hemispherical stoneware bowl marking the transition from late Goryeo celadon to the early Joseon buncheong tradition. Potted with a subdued celadon glaze, the rim features an antique gold lacquer repair (kintsugi), documenting its historical transmission and preservation within Japanese tea culture.

  • Note: The gold lacquer intervention signifies this Korean vessel was repurposed and highly prized as a tea bowl (chawan / 다완) by later Japanese tea masters.

Early Celadon Ash-Glazed Stoneware Bottle (Chogi Cheongja Byeong / 초기 청자 병 / 初期 靑磁 甁)

Early Celadon Ash-Glazed Stoneware Bottle (Chogi Cheongja Byeong / 초기 청자 병 / 初期 靑磁 甁)

  • Title: Early Celadon Ash-Glazed Stoneware Bottle (Chogi Cheongja Byeong / 초기 청자 병 / 初期 靑磁 甁)

  • Place of Origin: Korean Peninsula (Hanbando / 한반도 / 韓半島)

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Late Unified Silla to Early Goryeo Transition (Tongil Silla Malgi - Goryeo Chogi / 통일신라 말기 - 고려 초기 / 統一新羅 末期 - 高麗 初期)

  • Date: 9th–11th Century

  • Materials: Stoneware, olive-green wood-ash glaze (seokgi, hoeyu / 석기, 회유 / 石器, 灰釉)

  • Style or Ware: Early Proto-Celadon / Ash-Glazed Ware (Chogi Cheongja / 초기 청자 / 初期 靑磁)

  • Dimensions: - D: 15.0 cm H: 23.0 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A robust transitional stoneware bottle (byeong / 병 / 甁) representing an early proto-form of the classic maebyeong (매병 / 梅甁). The vessel features a broad-shouldered ovoid profile, short neck, everted rim, and an unglazed flat base (pyeongjeo / 평저 / 平底). The exterior is coated in a primitive, unstable olive-green wood-ash glaze (hoeyu / 회유 / 灰釉) exhibiting natural crawling over a dense greyish-buff stoneware body (seokgi / 석기 / 石器), indicative of early climbing kiln (oreumgama / 오름가마) production. This piece represents the crucial technological bridge between unglazed Silla stonewares and refined Goryeo celadons, strongly correlating in form and glaze chemistry with early southwestern kiln sites such as Gurim-ri (구림리 / 鳩林里).

White-Glazed Stoneware Bottle (Baek-yu Byeong / 백유 병 / 白釉 甁)

White-Glazed Stoneware Bottle (Baek-yu Byeong / 백유 병 / 白釉 甁)

  • Object Number: # KCV3

  • Title: White-Glazed Stoneware Bottle (Baek-yu Byeong / 백유 병 / 白釉 甁)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392)

  • Date: [Insert specific century, e.g., 12th–13th Century]

  • Materials: Stoneware, ivory-white glaze

  • Style or Ware: White-Glazed Stoneware (Baek-yu / 백유 / 白釉)

  • Dimensions: - D: 13.0 cm H: 22.3 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A stoneware bottle (byeong) dating to the Goryeo dynasty. The vessel features an ovoid body, an elongated neck, and a rolled rim. It is potted from a dense clay body and coated in a crackled, ivory-white glaze that exhibits natural iron-spot inclusions and visible wheel-throwing marks beneath the surface. This piece exemplifies regional stoneware production that emulated elite white wares utilizing local clays and pale, opaque glazes.

  • Note:

Inlaid Export Tea Bowl with Cloud and Crane Motif (Jumun Joseon Dawan / 주문 조선 다완)

Inlaid Export Tea Bowl with Cloud and Crane Motif (Jumun Joseon Dawan / 주문 조선 다완)

  • Object Number: # JKB577

  • Title: Inlaid Export Tea Bowl with Cloud and Crane Motif (Jumun Joseon Dawan / 주문 조선 다완)

  • Place of Origin: Busan, Korea (Waegwan Kilns)

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Mid-to-Late Joseon Dynasty

  • Date: 17th–18th Century

  • Materials: Stoneware, white slip inlay, translucent ash glaze, antique gold lacquer repair (kintsugi)

  • Style or Ware: Joseon Export Stoneware

  • Dimensions: - D: 12.0 cm H: 8.0 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A hemispherical Korean stoneware tea bowl (dawan / 다완) representing a fascinating intersection of Joseon craftsmanship and Edo-period export trade. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Japanese tea masters commissioned Korean potters at the Waegwan kilns in Busan to recreate classical Goryeo inlaid motifs. This bespoke export ware features white slip inlay of cranes and stylized flora beneath a warm, oxidized ash glaze. The rim bears an antique gold lacquer repair (kintsugi), documenting its historical transmission to Japan and its veneration within traditional tea culture (chanoyu).

  • Note: While produced in Joseon Korea, this specific export typology is academically cataloged in Japanese museum collections as Gohon Unkaku (Ordered Cloud and Crane).

Stamped Slip-Inlaid Export Tea Bowl (Jumun Joseon Dawan / 주문 조선 다완)

Stamped Slip-Inlaid Export Tea Bowl (Jumun Joseon Dawan / 주문 조선 다완)

  • Object Number: # KCB590

  • Title: Stamped Slip-Inlaid Export Tea Bowl (Jumun Joseon Dawan / 주문 조선 다완)

  • Place of Origin: Busan, Korea (Waegwan Kilns)

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Mid-to-Late Joseon Dynasty

  • Date: 17th–18th Century

  • Materials: Stoneware, white slip inlay, oxidized ash glaze, antique inscribed fabric cover

  • Style or Ware: Gohon-de (Ordered Ware) / Joseon Export Stoneware

  • Dimensions: - D: 14.2 cm H: 6.0 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A hemispherical Korean stoneware tea bowl (dawan / 다완) representing the cross-cultural "Gohon-de" (ordered ware) production of the 17th and 18th centuries. Commissioned by Japanese tea masters and fired at the Waegwan kilns in Busan, the vessel intentionally emulates 15th-century Joseon buncheong. It is densely decorated using the inhwa (stamped slip-inlay) technique, featuring the seungnyeom-mun ("rope curtain") pattern and a central chrysanthemum roundel beneath a highly oxidized, warm ash glaze. The precisely carved foot ring, featuring a central tokin (spiral), reflects the specific templates provided by the Japanese commissioners.

  • Note: Accompanied by an antique Japanese fabric cover inscribed "Goki Mishima" (呉器 三島). This specific Japanese tea ceremony classification documents the bowl's historical transmission to Japan and its veneration within the chanoyutradition, categorizing it as a Mishima-style bowl with a Goki (ritual vessel) profile.

Stamped Slip-Inlaid Export Tea Bowl (Jumun Joseon Dawan / 주문 조선 다완)

Ash-Glazed Stoneware Maebyeong (Hoeyu Maebyeong / 회유 매병)

  • Object Number: # KCV499

  • Title: Ash-Glazed Stoneware Maebyeong (Hoeyu Maebyeong / 회유 매병)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Goryeo Dynasty

  • Date: 12th–14th Century

  • Materials: Stoneware, natural ash glaze

  • Style or Ware: Utilitarian Stoneware (Gyeongjil Togi / 경질토기)

  • Dimensions: - D: 12.0 cm H: 22.5 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: The Romang Collection

  • Description: A utilitarian stoneware prunus vase (maebyeong) from the mid-to-late Goryeo dynasty. The vessel features a high-shouldered profile tapering sharply to a narrow, flat base (pyeongjeo). The iron-rich clay body displays prominent wheel-throwing lines and uneven pooling of natural ash glaze (jayeonyu / 자연유) across the upper shoulder, a result of prolonged high-temperature firing. Fired directly on the sandy floor of a traditional climbing kiln (oreumgama / 오름가마) without setters, the unglazed base retains significant kiln grit, reflecting its robust function for liquid storage.

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Faceted Iron-Brown Glazed Jar (Seokganju Gak-ho / 석간주 각호 / 石間硃 角壺)

Faceted Iron-Brown Glazed Jar (Seokganju Gak-ho / 석간주 각호 / 石間硃 角壺)

  • Object Number: # KCV510

  • Title: Faceted Iron-Brown Glazed Jar (Seokganju Gak-ho / 석간주 각호 / 石間硃 角壺)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Mid-to-Late Joseon Dynasty

  • Date: [Insert specific century, e.g., 18th–19th Century]

  • Materials: Stoneware, iron-brown glaze (seokganju)

  • Style or Ware: Iron-Brown Glazed Stoneware (Seokganju / 석간주)

  • Dimensions: - D: 22.0 cm H: 22.5 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: The Romang Collection

  • Description: A robust, faceted stoneware jar (gak-ho) dating to the Joseon dynasty. The vessel is enveloped in a rich, iron-brown glaze known as seokganju, derived from iron-oxide slip that yields tones ranging from deep rust to dark chocolate.The exterior features vertically shaved facets that enhance its architectural volume and tactile grip. Wares of this typology were produced at provincial kilns across the Korean peninsula, serving as essential utilitarian storage vessels for household commodities such as honey, salt, and fermented condiments.

  • Note:

Celadon Double-Gourd Ewer (Cheongja Pyohyeong Juja / 청자 표형 주자 / 靑磁 瓢形 注

Celadon Double-Gourd Ewer (Cheongja Pyohyeong Juja / 청자 표형 주자 / 靑磁 瓢形 注

  • Object Number: # KCV347

  • Title: Celadon Double-Gourd Ewer (Cheongja Pyohyeong Juja / 청자 표형 주자 / 靑磁 瓢形 注子)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Late Goryeo Dynasty

  • Date: 14th Century

  • Materials: Stoneware, celadon glaze

  • Style or Ware: Goryeo Celadon (Goryeo Cheongja / 고려 청자 / 高麗靑磁)

  • Dimensions: - D: 14.0 cm H: 29.8 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A stoneware ewer (juja) from the late Goryeo dynasty, elegantly potted in the classic double-gourd form (pyohyeong). The vessel features a constricted waist separating the upper and lower bulbous sections, fitted with a pouring spout and an arched handle. Coated in a celadon glaze, this distinctive shape reflects the profound influence of Daoist aesthetics in Goryeo aristocratic culture, where the gourd served as a traditional symbol of longevity, fertility, and auspiciousness.

Celadon Double-Gourd Ewer (Cheongja Pyohyeong Juja / 청자 표형 주자 / 靑磁 瓢形 注

Incised Buncheong Flattened Bottle with Floral Motif (Buncheong Johwa-mun Pyeonbyeong / 분청

  • Object Number: # KCV347

  • Title: Celadon Double-Gourd Ewer (Cheongja Pyohyeong Juja / 청자 표형 주자 / 靑磁 瓢形 注子)

  • Place of Origin: Korea

  • Artist: Unknown

  • Period: Late Goryeo Dynasty

  • Date: 14th Century

  • Materials: Stoneware, celadon glaze

  • Style or Ware: Goryeo Celadon (Goryeo Cheongja / 고려 청자 / 高麗靑磁)

  • Dimensions: - D: 14.0 cm H: 29.8 cm

  • Department: Historical Korean Ceramics

  • Collection: Korean Collection

  • Description: A stoneware ewer (juja) from the late Goryeo dynasty, elegantly potted in the classic double-gourd form (pyohyeong). The vessel features a constricted waist separating the upper and lower bulbous sections, fitted with a pouring spout and an arched handle. Coated in a celadon glaze, this distinctive shape reflects the profound influence of Daoist aesthetics in Goryeo aristocratic culture, where the gourd served as a traditional symbol of longevity, fertility, and auspiciousness.

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