Korea / Gourd-Shaped Bottle / Koryô dynasty (918?1392), 12th century

Korea
Gourd-Shaped Bottle
Koryô dynasty (918?1392), 12th century
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Creator Nationality: Asian; Far East Asian; Korean
Creator Dates/Places: Korea
Creator Name-CRT: Korea
Title: Gourd-Shaped Bottle
View: Principal view
Creation Start Date: 1100
Creation End Date: 1199
Creation Date: Koryô dynasty (918?1392), 12th century
Object Type: Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
Materials and Techniques: Stoneware with traces of incidental ash glaze
Dimensions: H. 16 3/8 in. (41.6 cm)
Description:

This elegant bottle in the shape of a gourd, which was probably used for serving wine, is a rare example of the little-studied gray stoneware of the Koryô period. It has a slightly rolled lip, a narrow ridge around the neck, and a small circular vent aperture high on the shoulder that allowed the liquid contents of the bottle to be poured evenly.

In contrast to the highly acclaimed and well-known celadon stonewares of the period, which are characterized by a grayish blue-green glaze over a light-colored body, this piece, which is unglazed except for the incidental settling of ash during the kiln firing, derives its color from the high iron content of the clay. This type of ware is also distinguishable from contemporaneous underglaze-iron painted celadons, the black or dark brown hues of which result from an iron-rich pigment applied to the object before firing.

The high-temperature (in excess of 1200°C) firing techniques of the Koryô period differed little from those of the earlier Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.?668 A .D.), developed beginning around the third century. With the exception of Chinese stoneware, Korean stoneware of the Three Kingdoms period is the earliest known high-fired pottery in the world.

AMICA Contributor: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Owner Location: New York, New York
ID Number: 1997.34.26
Credit Line: Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1997
Copyright: Copyright ? 2002 The Metropolitan Museum of Art . All rights reserved.
Rights: http://www.metmuseum.org/education/er_photo_lib.asp
AMICA ID: MMA_.1997.34.26
AMICA Library Year: 2002
Media Metadata Rights: Copyright (c) 2002 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All Rights Reserved

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