Description
Celadon or green-glazed stoneware is one of the greatest achievements of Korea’s Goryeo dynasty. Goryeo potters absorbed Chinese techniques and surpassed that country’s examples by further refining a technique known as sanggam. The time-consuming and complex process of sanggam involves carving a motif, then filling it with white and/or red clay (which turns black after firing) before applying the final bluish-green glaze. This vase is decorated with two large oval-like frames containing a scene of children playing in a bamboo garden, and a motif of cranes flying through clouds, symbolizing a wish for fertility and longevity.
Provenance
Plum Vase (Maebyeong) with Clouds, Cranes, and Children Motifs
Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), late 12th century
Accession Number
73216
Medium
Stoneware with red and white slip and celadon glaze
Dimensions
33.4 × 19.7 cm (13 1/8 × 7 3/4 in.)
Classification
vase
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. Russell Tyson