Spoon
918-1392 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This spoon forms part of a collection of over 40 Korean examples in the Museum. Large numbers of Korean spoons from a range of periods have survived intact because they were frequently used as burial objects and not exposed to degrading elements. This burial custom was practiced from the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC-AD 668) through the Choson period (AD 1392-1910). The shape and decoration of the spoon form in Korea has evolved over time. Among the earliest examples known are three from the Paekche kingdom (18 BC-AD 660), which have flaring, ribbed handles and ribbed and pointed bowls. In contrast, spoons of the Unified Silla period (AD 668-918) have straight, narrow handles and oval bowls. Those of the Koryo period, such as this example, have elegant curved handles and narrow, pointed bowls. The handle of this spoon ends in a lotus bud illustarting the influence of Buddhism at this time.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Bronze |
| Brief description | Spoon; bronze; with curve and bud-like knop; Korea, Koryo dynasty (918-1392) |
| Physical description | The spoon has a shallow pointed bowl, a straight handle of semi-circular section and at the end a curve and bud-like finial. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Summary | This spoon forms part of a collection of over 40 Korean examples in the Museum. Large numbers of Korean spoons from a range of periods have survived intact because they were frequently used as burial objects and not exposed to degrading elements. This burial custom was practiced from the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC-AD 668) through the Choson period (AD 1392-1910). The shape and decoration of the spoon form in Korea has evolved over time. Among the earliest examples known are three from the Paekche kingdom (18 BC-AD 660), which have flaring, ribbed handles and ribbed and pointed bowls. In contrast, spoons of the Unified Silla period (AD 668-918) have straight, narrow handles and oval bowls. Those of the Koryo period, such as this example, have elegant curved handles and narrow, pointed bowls. The handle of this spoon ends in a lotus bud illustarting the influence of Buddhism at this time. |
| Bibliographic reference | Beth McKillop. Korean Art and Design. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992.
48 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.159-1938 |
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| Record created | February 3, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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