Wine Flask
1800-1900 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
White porcelain, made from a mixture of clay and crushed rock fired at a very high temperature, was first produced in Korea in the Koryo dynasty (918–1392). By the time this jar was made sometime between 1700 and 1800 such porcelain had come to dominate ceramic production. Plain white wares, with their connotations of purity and honesty, were popular in a culture embedded in Confucian philosophy. However, porcelains painted under the glaze with iron brown, copper red and, as in this case, cobalt blue were also prized.
The inscriptions in Chinese characters on this faceted bottle celebrate the joys of drinking, reflecting its function as a wine container.
The inscriptions in Chinese characters on this faceted bottle celebrate the joys of drinking, reflecting its function as a wine container.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Porcelain decorated in underglaze blue |
| Brief description | Wine flask, porcelain decorated in underglaze blue, Korea, Choson dynasty, 1800-1900. |
| Physical description | Facetted wine flask, with a long reticulated neck, carries an underglaze blue design featuring cranes and landscape scenes each encircled with double roundels. In between each roundel is a four or five character inscription in praise of drinking. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support, the Vallentin Bequest, Sir Percival David and the Universities China Committee |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | White porcelain, made from a mixture of clay and crushed rock fired at a very high temperature, was first produced in Korea in the Koryo dynasty (918–1392). By the time this jar was made sometime between 1700 and 1800 such porcelain had come to dominate ceramic production. Plain white wares, with their connotations of purity and honesty, were popular in a culture embedded in Confucian philosophy. However, porcelains painted under the glaze with iron brown, copper red and, as in this case, cobalt blue were also prized. The inscriptions in Chinese characters on this faceted bottle celebrate the joys of drinking, reflecting its function as a wine container. |
| Bibliographic reference | Wilkinson, Liz, Birds, Bats & Butterflies in Korean Art. London: Sun Tree Publishing, Singapore, 1996.
pp.76-77 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.128-1936 |
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| Record created | February 3, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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