Water Dropper
1800-1870 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Korean water droppers such as this formed part of a set of accoutrements necessary for writing and painting. Before using the brush, the writer would prepare the ink by grinding an ink stick on an ink stone with a few drops of water dispersed from the dropper.
The wide variety of shapes and designs that characterise water droppers of the 18th and 19th centuries displays the imagination and wit of their makers and consumers. This dropper is in the shape of a carp bringing its tail to meet its mouth.
The wide variety of shapes and designs that characterise water droppers of the 18th and 19th centuries displays the imagination and wit of their makers and consumers. This dropper is in the shape of a carp bringing its tail to meet its mouth.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain, thrown, carved, painted and glazed |
| Brief description | Cer, Korea, Choson, blue and white |
| Physical description | The small water dropper is carved to depict the eye, scales and tail of the fish. Colour: Blue |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| 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. |
| Summary | Korean water droppers such as this formed part of a set of accoutrements necessary for writing and painting. Before using the brush, the writer would prepare the ink by grinding an ink stick on an ink stone with a few drops of water dispersed from the dropper. The wide variety of shapes and designs that characterise water droppers of the 18th and 19th centuries displays the imagination and wit of their makers and consumers. This dropper is in the shape of a carp bringing its tail to meet its mouth. |
| Bibliographic reference | Beth McKillop. Korean Art and Design. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992.
38 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.341-1912 |
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| Record created | February 3, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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