Oil Bottle
1200-1300 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This small bottle was made in the latter half of the Koryo dynasty (918-1392) as suggested by its dense and geometric inlay. The motif seen here of cranes flying in stylised clouds was very popular on celadon wares of this period. The bottle is likely to have contained perfumed oil.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Stoneware, thrown, inlaid and glazed |
Brief description | Celadon bottle with inlaid design |
Physical description | The oil bottle is of a flattened globular form with white and black inlaid decoration and covered with a celadon glaze. The upper body is adorned with four inlaid cranes spaced evenly, in flight among clouds. Round the foot is a border of lotus petals. There is some glaze degredation towards the foot and there are three spur marks on the foot ring. Colour: Greyish green, white and black |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Gallery label | 2. Three celadon cosmetic oil bottles
Late 12th century to early 14th century
Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
Cosmetic oil bottles made of stoneware were used as early as the Unified Silla period (676–935). During the Goryeo dynasty, these bottles were made of celadon and decorated with a variety of techniques such as iron-brown underglazes, incisions or inlays. Smaller bottles kept perfumed oil and oils for mixing into pigments for makeup, while the larger bottles stored hair oils. These oils were often pressed from apricot stones, castor seeds, and rice bran.
Plain, inlaid celadon and celadon with iron
brown underglaze
Museum no. C.560-1918, C.521-1918 given by Mr Aubrey Le Blond
Museum nos. CIRC.26-1928(05/04/2019) |
Credit line | Given by Mr Aubrey Le Blond |
Production | (dates to 1150-1250 in ELISE data) |
Subject depicted | |
Summary | This small bottle was made in the latter half of the Koryo dynasty (918-1392) as suggested by its dense and geometric inlay. The motif seen here of cranes flying in stylised clouds was very popular on celadon wares of this period. The bottle is likely to have contained perfumed oil. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | C.560-1918 |
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Record created | December 15, 1999 |
Record URL |
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