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Korean Old Silla dynasty, Kaya period (42 B.C. - A.D. 562) COVERED JAR WITH LUGS, 5th - 6th century Stoneware with ash glaze Height 12 1/4 inches Gift of Mr. Harold W. Shaw, 1984.93
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This unassuming mortuary urn has five lugs on the shoulder and a cover in the
shape of an inverted, footed bowl with perforations. The vessel is decorated
with paddle markings, the result of being patted with a wooden mallet with
carved striations on the head. With no attempt to form a regular pattern and the
rather casual nature of the design, this vessel is typical of the Korean pottery
of the Three Kingdoms period. There are traces of a natural-ash glaze covering
the body, a result of the drifting gases in the kiln. The shape, decoration, and
glaze are similar to the vessels excavated at the burial sites in Silla, in the
southeast Korean peninsula, dated to the 5th and 6th centuries.
This type of vessel was produced with the introduction and the influence of
Buddhism. Although not given official sanction until 527, Buddhism was likely
introduced into the Kaya kingdom by the 5th century. One of its impacts was the
substitution, with increasing frequency, of cremation rites around the middle of
the 6th century, replacing the former preference for imposing mound burials.
This urn is an example of such a cinerary tomb furnishing.
Clarence W. Kelley
SUGGESTED READINGS:
Griffing, Robert P. The Art of the Korean Potter: Silla, Koryo, Yi. New
York: The Asia Society, 1968.
Henderson, Gregory. Korean Ceramics: An Art's Variety. Columbus, OH: The Ohio State University, 1969.
Lefebvre d'Argence, Rene-Yvon, ed. 5,000 Years of Korean Art. San
Francisco: Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 1979.
Moes, Robert J. Korean Art from the Brooklyn Museum Collection. Brooklyn: The Brooklyn Museum, 1987.
