Dambaetdae
Pipe Rest (Dambaetdae)
1800 - 1899 (made)
1800 - 1899 (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 Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and came to dominate ceramic production in the Joseon period (1392–1910). Kilns produced large objects for use at court as well as smaller domestic pieces for private customers. In about 1800 they began to produce elegant white openwork porcelain objects such as this tobacco-pipe rest.
Scholarly pursuits were highly prized among Joseon gentlemen, who spent many hours at their desks in the male quarters of the traditional Korean home. This pipe rest would have been kept nearby, serving its function but also delighting the eye.
Scholarly pursuits were highly prized among Joseon gentlemen, who spent many hours at their desks in the male quarters of the traditional Korean home. This pipe rest would have been kept nearby, serving its function but also delighting the eye.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Dambaetdae (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain, thrown, incised, pierced and glazed |
| Brief description | Pipe rest, porcelain with openwork decoration and covered with a white glaze; Korea, Joseon, C19 |
| Physical description | Pipe holder of porcelain with moulded and pierced decoration, covered with a light celadon-green glaze, in the form of a cube. Two of the sides are pierced with a swastika within a circle, another with a honeycomb pattern, and the fourth with an inverted niche-shaped opening with three almond-shaped perforations in the spandrels. The top is pierced with trellis-work, with a circular orifice in the middle; the base is entire. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label | 2. Scholarly objects and self-cultivation
Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
Brush rest and inkstone made by Im Yi-nam in 1991
In a traditional Korean house, the sarangbang was the master’s study room where his possessions were carefully curated, reflecting his tastes and scholarly pursuits. Nature was important to the seonbi (Neo-Confucian virtuous scholars). This water dropper, yeonjeok, shaped like Mount Geumgang, was used to wet an inkstone, byeoru, when grinding an inkstick. The brush pot, piltong, is decorated with a phoenix, a representation of longevity and good fortune, while the openwork pipe rest, dambaetdae, contains portrayals of lotus flowers, a Joseon symbol of the honourable scholar. [86]
White porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue and copper red, and white porcelain
Water dropper given by Mr Aubrey Le Blond
Brush rest and inkstone purchase supported by V&A Members
Museum nos. C.98-1937, C.447-1920, C.343-1912, FE.35:1 & 2-1991(19/01/2021) |
| Object history | Purchased from Messrs. Kavanough & Co. (Seoul, Chosen, Korea), accessioned in 1912. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. Purchased from Kavanaugh & Co, Seoul, Korea; purchased by V&A ceramics curator C. H. Wylde. Register entry 22 August 1912. |
| Historical context | Purchase price for C.330-1929 through C.362-1912, inclusive. |
| 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 Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and came to dominate ceramic production in the Joseon period (1392–1910). Kilns produced large objects for use at court as well as smaller domestic pieces for private customers. In about 1800 they began to produce elegant white openwork porcelain objects such as this tobacco-pipe rest. Scholarly pursuits were highly prized among Joseon gentlemen, who spent many hours at their desks in the male quarters of the traditional Korean home. This pipe rest would have been kept nearby, serving its function but also delighting the eye. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other numbers |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.343-1912 |
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| Record created | February 3, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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