White Porcelain Flask with Leaf and Flower Design Painted in Underglaze Cobalt Blue and Inscription of "Su(壽)"
Flask
1750-1800 (made)
1750-1800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
White porcelain, made from a mixture of clay and crushed rock fired at a very high temperature, was first produced in Korea in the Koryo dynasty (918–1392). By the time this wine flask was made in the late Choson dynasty (1392–1910) such porcelain had come to dominate ceramic production. Plain white wares, with their connotations of purity and honesty, were popular in a culture embedded in Confucian philosophy. However, porcelains painted under the glaze with iron brown, copper red and, as in this case, cobalt blue were also prized.
Repeated three times around the bulbous body of the flask is the Chinese character for longevity surrounded by four bats, which carry the same symbolic meaning, and a scrollwork frame.
Repeated three times around the bulbous body of the flask is the Chinese character for longevity surrounded by four bats, which carry the same symbolic meaning, and a scrollwork frame.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | White Porcelain Flask with Leaf and Flower Design Painted in Underglaze Cobalt Blue and Inscription of "Su(壽)" (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain, thrown, painted in cobalt blue and glazed |
| Brief description | Wine flask, porcelain painted in underglaze blue, Korea, Choson dynasty, 1750-1800. |
| Physical description | Wine flask with bulbous body and long straight neck. Painted in underglaze blue round the body are longevity characters and bats in scrollwork. A mark carved on the base reads 'kwi yu k'un tyon', cf C.93-1937. This flask has a globular body and a long neck. It is painted in three places in underglaze cobalt blue with designs consisting of floral scrolls and bat cartouches enclosing the character "壽"(su), meaning longevity. A glossy bluish-white glaze is applied evenly to the whole surface of the flask, which was made at a kiln in Bunwon-ri, Gwangju, in the late 18th century. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | "壽"
|
| Credit line | Given by Lieutenant-Colonel Kenneth Dingwall D.S.O. through Art Fund |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | White porcelain, made from a mixture of clay and crushed rock fired at a very high temperature, was first produced in Korea in the Koryo dynasty (918–1392). By the time this wine flask was made in the late Choson dynasty (1392–1910) such porcelain had come to dominate ceramic production. Plain white wares, with their connotations of purity and honesty, were popular in a culture embedded in Confucian philosophy. However, porcelains painted under the glaze with iron brown, copper red and, as in this case, cobalt blue were also prized. Repeated three times around the bulbous body of the flask is the Chinese character for longevity surrounded by four bats, which carry the same symbolic meaning, and a scrollwork frame. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.668-1923 |
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| Record created | February 3, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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