Bottle with carved and incised design of two phoenixes and peony vinescrolls

Historical period(s)
Goryeo period, mid 12th century
Medium
Stoneware with celadon glaze
Dimensions
H x W: 28.5 x 18.8 cm (11 1/4 x 7 3/8 in)
Geography
Korea, Jeollanam-do province, Gangjin county, Gangjin kilns
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1912.96
On View Location
Freer Gallery 14: Rediscovering Korea's Past
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Bottle (maebyeong)

Keywords
Goryeo period (918 - 1392), green glaze, Korea, peony, phoenix, stoneware, wine
Provenance

To 1912Yamanaka & Company, New York to 1912 [1]From 1912 to 1919Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company, New York in 1912 [2]From 1920Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]Notes:[1] Undated folder sheet note. Also see Original Pottery List, L. 2361, Freer Galley of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives.[2] See note 1.[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Yamanaka and Co. (C.L. Freer source)
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919

Label

This bottle, probably made for use in the royal court, is embellished with the motif of phoenixes among peony scrolls, which signifies peace and prosperity.  Masterful carving of the design caused the glaze to pool in the deeper cuts. Where the glaze is thick, it appears darker, outlining the motifs and emphasizing the incised details.

Published References

Sekai toji zenshu (Catalogue of the World's Ceramics). 19 vols., Tokyo, 1976-1982. pl. 7.Oriental Ceramics (Toyo Toji Taikan): The World's Great Collections. 12 vols., Tokyo. pl. 74.Sigisbert Chrétien Bosch Reitz. Catalogue of an Exhibition of Early Chinese Pottery and Sculpture. Exh. cat. New York. fig. 284.Ann Yonemura. Korean Art in Western Collections, 5: Korean Art in the Freer Gallery of Art. vol. 4, no. 2 Los Angeles, June 1983. pp. 4-15, pl. 9.Lorraine d'Oremieux Warner. Korai Celadon in America. Vol. II, . pp. 37-121, pl. 21, fig. 4.Korean Art in the Freer and Sackler Galleries. Washington, D.C. no. 6.10, p. 87.Robert L. Hobson, Edward S. Morse, Rose Sickler Williams. Chinese, Corean, and Japanese Potteries: Descriptive Catalogue of the Loan Exhibition. Exh. cat. New York, March 2-21, 1914. pp. 102, 107.Ann Yonemura. A Pioneer Collection of Korean Art. vol. 118, no. 258 London, August 1983. p. 153."Selon les ecritures." Kim En Joong. France. p. 160.Ideals of Beauty: Asian and American Art in the Freer and Sackler Galleries. Thames and Hudson World of Art London and Washington, 2010. pp. 162-163.Thomas Lawton Linda Merrill. Freer: a legacy of art. Washington and New York, 1993. p. 221, fig. 153.Garrett Chatfield Pier. Some Examples of Sung Pottery Recently on Exhibition in New York. vol. 2, no. 3 New York, April 1914. pp. 226-235.Sekai toji zenshu (Catalogue of the World's Ceramics). 16 vols, Tokyo, 1955-1958. p. 293, fig. 259.Robert L. Hobson. Sung and Yuan Wares in a New York Exhibition. vol. 24, no. 132., March 1914. pp. 321-322.

Collection Area(s)
Korean Art
Web Resources
Korean Ceramics
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use