White Porcelain Cheonghwamaejojukmun Jar

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.2058

Category

Craft

Era

조선시대(15~16세기)

Designated year

2020

Location

서대문구, 서울특별시— 서울특별시 서대문구 이화여대길 52 (대현동, 이화여자대학교)

Coordinates

No precise coordinates are available, so this item is not shown as a map marker. To be added later.

The white porcelain jar from the early Joseon period features an upright mouth, a lid, and decorative patterns of apricots, birds, and bamboo in cobalt blue underglaze. White porcelain jars with decorative patterns in cobalt blue underglaze were only used by a limited number of people, making them something of a rarity today. The jar features a flamboyant design consisting of a large apricot blossom on the forefront and vivid decorative patterns of birds in various stages of motion, and its overall quality is heightened by the skillful use of different tones and gradations of color. Judging by the refined quality of the patterns, the jar is thought to have been produced at a government-run kiln with the participation of employees of the Dohwaseo (Joseon Royal Bureau of Painting). The jar is comparable to a similar work designated as National Treasure No. 170 both in terms of its shape and its decorative patterns. Both jars were made with well-refined soil and display superb decorative techniques. Unfortunately, the lid is missing, much to the chagrin of the admirers of such artifacts. Two different pigments whose main ingredient was cobalt were used to decorate the jar. Given that the burnt remains of test samples were found at a kiln site where white porcelain was produced, this jar could reveal valuable information about the production of white porcelain with cobalt blue glaze of the early Joseon Period. The jar is relatively well preserved, although it displays cracks on several parts of its body. It is nonetheless a valuable cultural artifact that displays the characteristic features of porcelain jars of the early Joseon period, when Korean artisans began making white porcelain with cobalt blue glaze patterns by themselves, having escaped the influence of China.