Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Celadon Bowl with Inlaid Willow, Reed, Water, and Animal Design and Inscription of "Gisa(己巳)"

Bowl
1389 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This celadon bowl has an inverted rim. The characters "己巳"(gisa) are inlaid in white clay at the centre of the inside bottom and enclosed by a lotus petal band. The interior is decorated with willows in three places and reeds in one place, with ducks in between them. There is a scroll band a little way below the mouth. The upper and lower parts of the exterior are decorated with a scroll band and a lotus petal band respectively. Between the bands there are four chrysanthemum designs. The foot is low and small, and is marked with the traces of sand spurs. The glaze has a greyish-blue tint. Corrosion and discoloration are visible on the outside. Features such as the simplified willow design, the characters "己巳"(gisa), the use of scroll bands, the rough greyish-blue glaze, and the foot with sand spur marks indicate that the bowl was produced in 1389, the year of "己巳"(gisa).


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleCeladon Bowl with Inlaid Willow, Reed, Water, and Animal Design and Inscription of "Gisa(己巳)" (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Stoneware, thrown, with inlaid decoration under celadon glaze
Brief description
Bowl, stoneware with inlaid decoration under a celadon glaze; Korea, Koryo dynasty, 1269-1329
Physical description
The bowl with white and black inlaid decoration and covered with a greyish green celadon glaze. The interior bears two character 'kisa' (a cyclical year) in the well, surrounded by a band of lotus petals, a frieze of ducks, willows and reeds on the sides and a grass border near the rim. The exterior has chrysanthemums and arabesque scrolls, between a band of lotus petals and a grass border. There are areas of glaze degradation, more serious on the outside but also on the inside.
Dimensions
  • Height: 6.7cm
  • Mouth diameter: 18.7cm
  • Base diameter: 5.9cm
Style
Marks and inscriptions
"己巳"
Translation
gisa
Credit line
Given by Mr Aubrey Le Blond
Subjects depicted
Summary
This celadon bowl has an inverted rim. The characters "己巳"(gisa) are inlaid in white clay at the centre of the inside bottom and enclosed by a lotus petal band. The interior is decorated with willows in three places and reeds in one place, with ducks in between them. There is a scroll band a little way below the mouth. The upper and lower parts of the exterior are decorated with a scroll band and a lotus petal band respectively. Between the bands there are four chrysanthemum designs. The foot is low and small, and is marked with the traces of sand spurs. The glaze has a greyish-blue tint. Corrosion and discoloration are visible on the outside. Features such as the simplified willow design, the characters "己巳"(gisa), the use of scroll bands, the rough greyish-blue glaze, and the foot with sand spur marks indicate that the bowl was produced in 1389, the year of "己巳"(gisa).
Bibliographic references
  • Rackham, Bernard. Catalogue of the Le Blond collection of Corean pottery London: V&A, 1918, Plate 26, Cat. 93.
  • National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage. Daejeon: National Research Institue of Cultural Heritage, 2013, p. 91.
Collection
Accession number
C.578-1918

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Record createdFebruary 3, 2000
Record URL
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