Jar with incised design of lotus sprays

Historical period(s)
Goryeo period, second half of 12th century
Medium
Stoneware with celadon glaze
Dimensions
H x W: 27.7 x 18.1 cm (10 7/8 x 7 1/8 in)
Geography
Korea, Jeolla-do province, Gangjin or Buan county, Gangjin or Buan kilns
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1917.288a-b
On View Location
Freer Gallery 14: Rediscovering Korea's Past
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Jar

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

To 1917Yamanaka & Company, New York to 1917 [1]From 1917 to 1919Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company, New York in 1917 [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. 2547, 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

Incised sprays of lotus blossoms, emblems of Buddhism, adorn this covered jar. After the birth of a royal child, such a jar was used in burying the placenta to ensure the infant's well-being. The popular lotus-spray motif appears on vessels of various types.

Published References

Lorraine d'Oremieux Warner. Eastern Art: An Annual. vols. 2 - 3, Philadelphia, 1930 - 1931. pl. 20, fig. 1.Oriental Ceramics (Toyo Toji Taikan): The World's Great Collections. 12 vols., Tokyo. pl. 73.G. St. G.M. Gompertz. Korean Celadon. Faber monographs on pottery and porcelain, 1st American ed. New York. pl. 10.Edward B. Adams. Korea's Pottery Heritage. 2 vols., Seoul, 1986-1990. cat. 118.Korean Art in the Freer and Sackler Galleries. Washington, D.C. no. 6.23, p. 103.

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