This inlaid celadon bottle is by the contemporary Korean artist Shin Sang-ho (born 1936), whose works have been widely exhibited in Korea, Europe, the United States and Japan. With its finely crackled, translucent celadon glaze and delicately inlaid design of cranes, the vase pays homage to Korean ceramics of the Koryo dynasty (918-1392AD). Its strong shape is, however, entirely different from Koryo celadon which often imitated natural organic shapes, such as melon and bamboo. Equally uncommon to Koryo celadon is the angular body created by the ridges that divide the bottle into irregular facets. The finely carved trees appear to grow from these ridges, creating a striking yet subtle decorative effect.