Buncheong Turtle-shaped Bottle with Sgraffito Peony Design in Underglaze Iron

Basic information

Designation

National Treasure No.260

Category

Craft

Era

조선시대(15세기 후반)

Designated year

1991

Location

용산구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 용산구 서빙고로 137 (용산동6가, 국립중앙박물관)

Coordinates

37.524041, 126.980350

This is an outdoors bottle designed in the late fifteenth century Joseon Dynasty. It is typically used for carrying water or liquors. Because it has a shape of a turtle, it is called ‘Turtle-shaped Bottle’. It is 9.4cm high and 24.1cm wide. All around the bottle, thick white clay is applied. Peony blossoms and leaves are painted in free and open manners with simple brush strokes. Some parts of the surfaces are cut out and painted in black, in order to bring out contrasting light and shade. This design technique is called bakji, a method of design by sgraffiato. Pots designed using this technique stylishly represent the buncheong glazed stonewares. The footplate is low, and a vine pattern band is painted along the edge of it. The glaze color is a bright grayish blue, but the bottom part of the bottle is oxidized to form discoloration. The use of bakji and the colorimetric of black and white are in harmony, characterizing this era.

Location