East Asia, Korea, Koryo Dynasty, ca. 10th to 13th CE. A tall, fluted, sand-glazed vessel with a piriform shape accented by a narrow, conical neck and a flared mouth. The stoneware is covered with olive-green glaze with additional bits of sand, giving it an intriguing textured exterior. The body has deep vertical grooves across its exterior surfaces that imbue it with a strong, gourd-like presence. The unglazed base reveals the original tan color of the buffware. An attractive example with a unique surface and a captivating presentation. Size: 6" Diameter x 10.25" H (15.2 cm x 26 cm)
To create this ware, artisans apply a wash of slip (liquefied clay), which contains a high proportion of iron, to the body of the stoneware before glazing. The iron interacts with the glaze during the firing and colors it one of various shades of green. First made in China, celadon was exported to India, Persia, and Egypt in the Tang dynasty (618 to 907 CE), to most of Asia in the Song (960 to 1279 CE) and Ming (1368 to 1644 CE) dynasties, and to Europe in the 14th century. The ware was popular because of its beauty; the Chinese also valued it because it resembled jade. Adding to its popularity was a widely believed superstition suggesting that a celadon dish would break or change color if poisoned food were put into it.
Korean celadons of the Koryo period had a glaze that varied from bluish green to a putty color. Many of the forms were lobed, based on the melon or the gourd. Chinese potters, noted for originating the practice, fired their celadons in brick kilns, but Korean artisans used traditional mud kilns that effectively blocked the flow of oxygen to produce a brilliant celadon tone.
Wares were both mold-made and wheel thrown. An incision technique enabled the clay surface to be adorned with subtle linear designs. Korean potters adapted and refined celadon technology from China to create distinctively Korean ceramics revered by elites in Korea, China, and Japan alike.
Provenance: ex-Ashland University Museum, Ashland, Ohio, USA
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#164879
Condition
Minor chipping to the base. A label had been placed on a lower portion, and later removed leaving partial remnants. Otherwise, excellent condition and fully intact.