Water Sprinkler
1200-1250 (made)
| Place of origin |
The kundika (water sprinkler) was a popular object during the Koryo dynasty (918-1392), when it was made in ceramics as well as bronze. This kundika has an ovoid shouldered body, a tall neck surmounted by a disc-shaped piece and a slender tubular spout. On one side of the shoulder there is a projecting mouth through which to fill the vessel with water, and on the base there is a recessed ring. It is covered with a crackled celadon glaze and has black-and-white inlaid decoration featuring willow trees and swimming ducks.
The development of sanggam inlay is one of the crucial components of Koryo celadon making. The method was an independent achievement by Koryo craftsmen at a time when inlay was not used by Chinese potters, and it has come to represent the elegance and gracefulness of Koryo period art. The inlay technique is believed to have derived from metal and lacquer wares on which it had been used several centuries earlier. The method of inlay is different to that of incised and carved designs. First the motif is carved into the clay body, and the resulting grooves are covered with black or white slip. Excess slip is scraped off and the piece is biscuit fired, before being glazed and fired again. The ensuing design is clearly visible underneath the thin and highly translucent glaze.
The development of sanggam inlay is one of the crucial components of Koryo celadon making. The method was an independent achievement by Koryo craftsmen at a time when inlay was not used by Chinese potters, and it has come to represent the elegance and gracefulness of Koryo period art. The inlay technique is believed to have derived from metal and lacquer wares on which it had been used several centuries earlier. The method of inlay is different to that of incised and carved designs. First the motif is carved into the clay body, and the resulting grooves are covered with black or white slip. Excess slip is scraped off and the piece is biscuit fired, before being glazed and fired again. The ensuing design is clearly visible underneath the thin and highly translucent glaze.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Celadon-glazed, thrown stoneware, with inlaid decoration |
| Brief description | Celadon kundika with inlaid willow and duck design |
| Physical description | The water sprinkler has an ovoid shouldered body, a tall neck surmounted by a disc-shaped piece and a slender tubular spout. On one side of the shoulder there is a projecting mouth to fill the vessel with water and it has a recessed ring on the base. It is covered with a crackled celadon glaze and has black and white inlaid decoration featuring swimming ducks and willow trees. There are large cracks on the body. This kind of sprinkler is a Buddhist shape which reached Korea and China from India. Of the two openings, the narrow mouth at the top of the neck was for scattering water for purification during temple services, the short spout was for filling it. Willow designs are inlaid in a painterly manner on opposite sides of the body, and the remaining space is decorated with a pair of swimming ducks inlaid in black and white clay. The crackled glaze is a deep greenish colour. The lid is missing and the glaze has been wiped off the underside of the foot, which bears spur marks made of fireclay mixed with sand. It is thought that the kundika was produced at a kiln in Yucheon-ri, Buan, in the early 13th century. |
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Purchased from Mr. J. S. T. Audley (25 Brook Street, Grosvenor Square, W.), accessioned in 1909. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The kundika (water sprinkler) was a popular object during the Koryo dynasty (918-1392), when it was made in ceramics as well as bronze. This kundika has an ovoid shouldered body, a tall neck surmounted by a disc-shaped piece and a slender tubular spout. On one side of the shoulder there is a projecting mouth through which to fill the vessel with water, and on the base there is a recessed ring. It is covered with a crackled celadon glaze and has black-and-white inlaid decoration featuring willow trees and swimming ducks. The development of sanggam inlay is one of the crucial components of Koryo celadon making. The method was an independent achievement by Koryo craftsmen at a time when inlay was not used by Chinese potters, and it has come to represent the elegance and gracefulness of Koryo period art. The inlay technique is believed to have derived from metal and lacquer wares on which it had been used several centuries earlier. The method of inlay is different to that of incised and carved designs. First the motif is carved into the clay body, and the resulting grooves are covered with black or white slip. Excess slip is scraped off and the piece is biscuit fired, before being glazed and fired again. The ensuing design is clearly visible underneath the thin and highly translucent glaze. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.743-1909 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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