Bunwon kilns
Tall Ovoid Vase
1700-1799
Scroll
Bunwon kilns
Tall Ovoid Vase
1700-1799
Physical Qualities
Porcelain with transparent glaze, 15 15/16 × 5 1/8 in. (40.5 × 13 cm.); 15 lb.
Credit Line
Julius Levy Memorial Fund
Object Number
2016.108
A barely visible seam is the only clue that two nearly
identical halves, top and bottom, were joined at the
midpoint to create this vessel. Wealthy Korean families
stored dry goods or condiments in vessels like this one,
with heavy paper covers, and kept them near the kitchen in
the women’s quarters. Sometimes such vessels held large
flower arrangements; the plain shape and undecorated
surface would have contrasted but not competed with its
floral contents. Part of a bride’s dowry, whether put to
utilitarian or decorative use, these impressive additions
to the household would become family heirlooms.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by purchase, 2016; Kang Collection Korean Art, New York, late 2015; private collection, Vancouver, BC
Across East Asia: China's Cultural & Artistic Legacy
Asian Gallery Rotations 2021
Asian Gallery Rotations 2022
Asian Gallery Rotations 2023
"Moon Jars: The Splendor of Joseon Porcelain," Seoul: National Palace Museum of Korea, 2005.
