Buncheong Ware Bakjiyeonhwamun Flat Bottle

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.1388

Category

Craft

Era

조선시대(15세기)

Designated year

2003

Location

용산구, 서울특별시— 서울 용산구 이태원로55길 60-16, 삼성미술관 리움 (한남동)

Coordinates

37.536528, 126.996187

Bottles with a flattened front and back side were popularly manufactured in buncheong ceramic or black glaze ceramic, mostly during the 15th century. Their appeal comes from their generously round form which evokes a carefree abundance, in contrast with the more stilted perfection of white porcelains. This flat bottle has a shape that particularly emphasizes roundness and softness and has an underglaze design in curved lines which echoes the overall shape, and is, for this reason, considered one of the finest extant examples of its kind. The underglaze lotus design, realized in incised carving and sgraffito, is admirable for its easy elegance. The incised outlines of the lotus flowers and stems are lively and bold, against a backdrop rendered in sgraffito. Fine details like the dots added to the stamen and calyx of the lotus flower to emphasize the fully bloomed appearance bear witness to the amount of care that went into the making of this vase. The clear glaze with a bright grayish blue tint was not well melted, with some bumping observed in places. The bottom of the foot ring shows traces left by the sand bed over which the bottle vase was fired. The vase is glazed also on the surface of the cavity under the foot. The majestic shape of the vase is beautifully matched by an elegant underglaze design.

Location