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Korean Koryo dynasty (918 - 1392) WINE BOTTLE, 12th century Porcelain with inlaid design under celadon glaze Height 15 1/4 inches Diameter 6 1/4 inches Gift of Mrs. Virginia W. Kettering, 1976.172
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One of the most striking and aesthetically pleasing achievements of the Koryo
potters was inlaid decoration known as sanggam.
This decorative technique became widely popular during the Koryo dynasty from
the 12th through 14th centuries. Fine examples are also seen in other media,
such as bronzes inlaid with silver and lacquer wares inlaid with
mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, and metals. Although the origin of this
technique in Korea is still debated, it is likely to have been a product
introduced from the Chinese Tang dynasty (618 - 907), metal inlay on lacquer,
with contemporaneous Chinese lacquer inlay from Hangzhou. For inlaid decoration,
design elements were incised into the clay and filled with a slip that oxides
either white or black in firing.
The simple, yet robust, form of the vessel, as well as the balance of design, is
indicative of its 12th century date. The relative sparseness of design is
typical of early inlaid wares. The base of the neck region has a single, thin,
inlaid band beneath which is a collar of fungi motifs. On the body of the bottle
are three flowering branches in white and black slip inlay. A fine celadon glaze
with crackles covers the entire surface. The mouth area has been restored, as
has the loop through which a cord once passed to secure the now-missing lid.
Clarence W. Kelley
SUGGESTED READINGS:
Gompetz, G.S.G.M. Korean Celadon and Other Wares of the Koryo Period. New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1964.
Griffing, Robert P. The Art of the Korean Potter: Silla, Koryo, Yi. New
York: The Asia Society, 1968.
Itoh Ikutaro and Yutaka Mino, with contributions from Jonathan W. Best and
Pamela B. Vandiver. The Radiance of Jade and the Clarity of Water: Korean
Ceramics from the Ataka Collection. Chicago: The Art Institute of Chicago,
1991.
Mowry, Robert D. "Koryo Celadons." Orientations (May 1986, Vol. 17, No.
5): 24-39.
