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This prunus vase from the early Joseon Dynasty continues the basic body shape of the Goryeo celadon prunus vase, and yet the body of this particular piece is more round. According to the popular style in the late Goryeo Dynasty and the early Joseon Dynasty, the horizontal lines divide the vase body into different design sections: the middle section shows a tortoise shell, the upper and bottom sections show chrysanthemum and lotus leaves. The foot of the vase is marked with sand used during firing. |
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This bowl has the stamp and inscription of "Uiheung Jangheung," the name of an office called Jangheunggo. The office was in charge of procuring and managing items such as mat and paper for the royal court. The Chronicles of King Taejong (1417) says that ceramics were to have the name of their office inscribed in order to prevent theft. |
| This bowl has the stamp design in the middle surrounded by butterfies and lotus petals. |
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This Buncheng bottle shows peony petals, a widely used pattern for Buncheng ware. In the making process, this bottle was covered with a thick layer of white clay, on which patterns were either engraved or raked out. This technique was often used in Jeolla Province. Eloquently showing peony petals, this bottle was supported by fine sand during firing. |
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The bottle contained liquor and other types of liquids. The underglaze iron pigment was employed to express the vine patterns freely. The shape of this bottle goes back to the earthenware from the period of Three Kingdoms, but this shape was often used for Buncheng ware as well and was often called Jangbon or Jangboon. |
| The vines on this piece with its varying shades is a common pattern among Buncheng celadons. |
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This bowl is patterned by a paintbrush with thick hair. The pattern design is determined by the thickness of the paintbrush and by the direction and speed of the brushstroke. The patterns on this piece are almost comparable to modern abstract art. |
Only the inside of this bowl is patterned with a thick brush, and the inside bottom of the bowl shows the mark of other bowls having been stacked on top of this piece during firing.
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This bowl was dipped in water mixed with white clay. This type of coloring and its resulting pattern are also called Dumbung pattern, named after the sound of dipping the bowl into the water. This type of coloring was to appear during the last years of Buncheng ware. |
Perhaps it was a result of an attempt to make a white porcelain, or a result of deliberate experiments to develop new coloring.
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